All in the family: Now that the C-Class sedan is launched, get ready for the relatives
By Paul Horrell
Now that the W204 C-Class is launched in Europe, Mercedes engineers are finishing other versions. AWD 4Matic models will go on sale in time for winter, using a system similar to that in the new S-Class, with the center diff packaged alongside the engine.
A C-Class wagon will be shown to the public at Frankfurt this September and go on sale in Europe shortly after. U.S. sales are unlikely, especially as there also will be a U.S.-friendly compact SUV based on the W204 4Matic platform, codenamed X204 and to be badged MLK. The MLK has already been spotted testing extensively, and its design places it as a BMW X3 competitor, or mini ML-Class. It won't be a full-on SUV, but a road-biased one, albeit with greater clearance and ruggedized suspension compared with the C-Class.
The C-Class also is being given the AMG treatment. It gets AMG's remarkable 6.2-liter V-8, rated at a shattering 480 horsepower-enough to see off even the new-generation BMW M3. It has a seven-speed auto and an all-new rear axle compared with the base car in order to improve traction and durability under the duress of the engine. Unlike the current AMG C-Class, this one will be built on the main production line, not handmade at AMG's premises.
Next year a more economical yet powerful V-6 will be offered in Europe over the current C350: the C350CGI, a direct-injection unit offering 288 horsepower, a rise of 20 on the current V-6. Compression ratio is 12.2 to one, and it runs with stratified charge and lean-burn operation up to about 75 mph. Its U.S. debut depends on the availability of sulfur-free fuel.
The new-gen C-Class also is packageprotected for a full two-mode hybrid system, also a mild-hybrid stop-start system..