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

“Baby Benz” excels in width, length and appearance

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

There are four production bases around the world for the new C-class - Beijing, Germany’s Bremen, South Africa’s East London, and the United States’ Alabama. The last three bases produce a standard wheelbase of 2,840mm, already 80mm longer than previous C-class models. However, facing the big potential of the Chinese market, the Beijing base further lengthened the wheelbase to 2,920mm, led by the traditional aestheticism of “Bigger is more beautiful” in the country. The move not only added a local flavor to the car, but also made it the longest wheelbase model on the market.

The longer wheelbase and increased width of the brand-new C-class brings extra space to the rear seats, where passengers can experience unprecedented comfort during long-distance or business trips. At the same time, the enlarged space gives interior decorators more scope to show their talent. In addition, the trunk of the C-class was also upgraded.

Annual sales of the C-class account for at least 30 percent of Mercedes-Benz’s total sales. The medium-sized sedan has always been a pillar product in market sales in various countries, and the long wheelbase C-class car will certainly be popular with Chinese consumers.

LED headlights seize the market

The brand-new C-class model’s standard configuration uses halogen lighting. [Photo provided to Chinadaily.com.cn]

“Goodbye, Edison!” The brand-new S-class sedan doesn’t have a single light bulb, more than 100 years after the electric lamp was invented. It’s just the beginning, because the brand-new C-class model’s standard configuration uses halogen lighting, and two LED intelligent front lighting system is offered as an option. More important, the tail light will use LED lighting technology, the only one among its peers.