Mercedes-Benz’s long-wheelbase C-class made for China

The Mercedes-Benz booth at the Beijing Auto Show’s W4 hall was packed with fans on April 21, practically forming a human wall around the booth, where the long-wheelbase C-class was on show. The model not only represents youth and vitality, but also an attitude.

In 1982, the first generation C-class 190 won over 8.5 million car owners. As the smallest member of the Benz family, the C-class was dubbed “Baby Benz”. The W204 delivered excellent sales performance all around the world in 2007. In 2011, C-class’s small version as well as C-class Coupe, station wagon, and AMG models were brought on stage. The Grand Edition in 2013 sustained the glory of the C-class.

C-class 190 [Photo provided to Chinadaily.com.cn]

This time, the long wheelbase model was geared toward the Chinese market. It is equipped with a larger back row space and better fits road conditions in China. The car has inherited the strong qualities of the S-class sedan and, for the first time, makes the “Baby Benz” truly live up to its name both in appearance and technology configuration.

Dual-element design

Mercedes-Benz is the first to design two different front faces for one model. [Photo provided to Chinadaily.com.cn]

The brand-new C-class model inherited the design of the brand-new S-class sedan. It has a long head, short front overhang and streamlined tail, and is equipped with a compact body and robust, dynamic curve, giving an athletic visual effect. But to satisfy the demand of different users, the brand-new C-class adopted two different front faces resulting in dual appearances: sedan and sport sedan, just like the E-class that went on the market last year. The sport sedan has a shield-shaped front face, while the sedan extends the classic beacon design, which looks more like a scaled-down version of the S-class sedan. They both exhibit the elegance that makes them stand out from their peers.

Mercedes-Benz is the first to design two different front faces for one model. Moreover, more models of different styles and functions will be derived from the two faces to further stand out and satisfy different customer demands.