Mercedes has unveiled its fourth generation of the C-Class estate, which promises game-changing fuel savings of 20%.
The new car, which is released in September this year, builds on the success of its standard saloon and features an enlarged wheelbase of more than 80mm to (2840mm).
Its practical, sports-influenced design is lighter than in its previous guise by 65kg and has greater rear passenger room, as well as improvements to its rear load space – which now has a decidedly roomy capacity of 1510 litres.
All eyes are likely to be on the performance of it hybrid diesel model, which is claiming fuel efficiency figures of 74mpg.
The estate boasts a premium quality interior and is expected to prove a key player in its fleet operations. It is being used to showcase the German brand’s innovative ‘connect me’ service.
This enables advanced data monitoring including allowing connection to the vehicle from anywhere to establish its fuel levels online.
For the first time, Mercedes has joined the likes of BMW in introducing a heads-up display system for its dash, placing data including speed and navigation directly in the driver’s field of vision.
Underlining its practical credentials, it has a 40: 20: 40 split (rather than the 60:40 ratio of its predecessor), which Mercedes believes will offer a greater range of flexibility for drivers.
Safety is another major feature of the C-Class, with advanced automatic braking and driver fatigue warning and active lane features to assist drivers under a wide range of road conditions.
Both its petrol and diesel line-up have been equipped with eco start/stop functions that will significantly improve on fuel efficiency.
There will be three BlueDirect four-cylinder petrol engines and one BlueDirect six-cylinder petrol engine ranging from 156 to 333hp, with a
four-cylinder C 350 Hybrid with plug-in technology delivering 208 + 67hp set to be delivered soon.
The diesel options have four-cylinder engines and are fitted with emissions reduction technology across its range from 115 hp to 204 hp variants.
There is also anticipated to be plenty of interest its C 300 BlueTEC Hybrid with four-cylinder diesel engine and compact electric motor producing 204 + 27hp that is capable of 74 mpg. P11D prices have yet to be released for the range.
Prof Dr Thomas Weber, of Daimler AG, said: “The new C-Class Estate is not only extremely practical thanks to its large, variable load compartment. With its state-of-the-art technical features it also stands out in its segment in regards to safety, efficiency and comfort.”
