LA Auto Show: Mercedes-Benz Debuts New C-Class Sport Models

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 3 -- Mercedes-Benz is expanding the popular C-Class model line with new sport model variations of its sedans and coupes. Making their debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the C230 Kompressor sport sedan, C320 sport sedan, and the C320 sports coupe were developed with younger buyers in mind and are configured to pique the interest of car enthusiasts.

The successful C-Class sedan has been enhanced to deliver the overall performance of a true sports sedan. This means a sport-tuned suspension, sport body cladding, aluminum interior trim, seven-spoke 17" wheels with high performance tires, a standard six-speed close-ratio manual transmission and thickly bolstered front sport seats all available as standard equipment on both the C230 Kompressor and C320 sport sedans. This also means a naturally aspirated 3.2-liter V6 for the sports coupe. All of the above is offered at a price point noteworthy on its own: $27,990 for the C230 Kompressor sport sedan, $35,200 for the C320 sport sedan, and $27,300 for the C320 sports coupe.

Options Make the Heart Grow Fonder

In addition to the face and muscle transformations, the new models will be available with the value-driven convenience packages optional on the standard C-Class models. The new C-Class variants can be outfitted with the Bi-Xenon and heated headlamp washer package further enhancing their sporty character. For those who appreciate good music and a variety of it, a CD changer is the perfect compliment to the premium sound system found in the vehicle. To increase its visual appeal, new colors have been added to the C-Class palette for these sport models. Pewter replaces Tectite Grey, and the standard color palette grows as special order charges become a thing of the past.

Youthful Design

When Mercedes-Benz embarked on the new C-Class design process, much work had already been accomplished. The award-winning S-Class firmly established a solid theme for subsequent Mercedes sedans. The C-Class sedan builds upon the dynamic and youthful visual language of a coupe-like profile, twin headlamp face, a sculpted hood, curvaceous C-pillars, triangular taillights, a trim waistline and strong shoulders. The sport sedans feature a redesigned front bumper, sculpted sidesills, stylish chrome accents and rear apron on the exterior and aluminum trim, front sport seats with leather seating inserts, and blue tinted glass on the interior. The C320 sports coupe builds successfully on that theme. The sports coupe's C-pillars flow easily down from the roof into the tail, and come together in a deck-mounted spoiler that generates a useful aerodynamic function, reducing rear lift at highway speeds. Indeed, the slope of the rear window is also at a beneficial angle, so that a rear wiper is not needed to keep the glass clear in poor weather. Additionally, the clear panel between the taillights creates a helpful view to the rear for backing up.

C-Class 4MATIC Takes Drivers to New Heights

Along with a host of other new optional equipment, the C320 sport sedan is offered with the same all wheel drive capability found in the rugged, yet refined 4MATIC C240 and C320 sedans and wagons, 4MATIC E-Class and M-Class vehicles. Mercedes' 4MATIC is a full-time all-wheel-drive system that uses a 35/65 front/rear torque split and requires no driver intervention. Advanced four-wheel electronic traction control is used to vary torque distribution to individual wheels under slippery conditions. Even if three wheels lose traction, 4MATIC can direct power to just one wheel, front or back, left or right, to keep the car moving. The system is lightweight (under 200 pounds) and compact, so passenger and cargo spaces are not affected.

An Engine with an Eye on the Environment

The C-Class sport lineup for the U.S. includes normally aspirated V6-powered models, the C320 sports coupe and C320 sport sedan, as well as the C230 Kompressor sport sedan, powered by a supercharged 1.8-liter in-line 4-cylinder engine.

Both Mercedes-Benz V6 engines provide spirited performance, yet with super-low exhaust emissions. The V6 engines capitalize on a twin-spark/three-valve-per-cylinder arrangement that simultaneously offers high power and torque output, plus clean emissions. Two intake valves assure quick cylinder filling of the precise air/fuel mixture. One large exhaust valve helps the engine breathe, yet also reduces emissions by retaining exhaust heat. The power-packed 3.2-liter V6 engine in the C320 sport sedan equipped with automatic transmission can now run efficiently on ethanol as well as conventional gasoline. Advanced twin-spark plug, three-valve-per-cylinder technology also means that the C320, already a LEV or Low Emission Vehicle, can burn cleaner than ever before.

Both of the C-Class V6 engines take advantage of dual-resonance intake manifolds, which help maximize torque at all engine speeds. The result is the C320 sport sedan's 3.2-liter engine generating 215-horsepower and that develops 221 lbs.-ft. of torque from 3,000-4,600 rpm, delivering substantial midrange punch. Sequential fuel injection and electronic drive-by-wire throttle control ensure progressive response to the throttle. The result, in the case of the C320 sport sedan, is very brisk, sports-car-like acceleration from 0-60 mph in just 6.9 seconds.

The C230 Kompressor sport sedan is powered by a very compact supercharged and intercooled 189-hp, 1.8-liter engine, which is also classified as a LEV (Low Emissions Vehicle). The sport sedan comes standard with a crisp six- speed manual transmission or an optional five-speed TouchShift automatic, the latter offering manual gear selection and sophisticated shift programming. Estimates have the 1.8-liter sport sedan reaching 60 mph in roughly 7.6 seconds.

Shifting with Pleasure: The Six-Speed Manual

Bringing a strong sporty component to the new C-Class variants, the six-speed manual transmission offers maximum control. With an extra gear, Mercedes engineers narrowed the gaps between each gear and made a slightly shorter first gear (as compared to a five-speed manual) for quicker acceleration from rest, all while maintaining an overdrive sixth gear for quiet and economic highway cruising. Shift effort is low, thanks to multiple-cone synchromesh, easing cross-gate shifts from second to third and from fourth to fifth. The reverse lockout is overcome by lifting on the shift lever when selecting reverse.

Lightweight, Energy Absorbing Front Suspension

The C-Class suspension blends several innovations with proven Mercedes-Benz engineering triumphs. At the front, the C-Class combines two separate lower links with a strut, coil springs, twin-tube gas shocks and a stabilizer bar. By using two lower links of low mass rather than one conventional control arm, they can provide better impact absorption in the case of a frontal impact. In addition, sensitivity to potential wheel imbalances or brake fluctuations is minimized. Rack and pinion steering is finely honed to deliver precise, direct feel and response. Like the front suspension, the steering rack provides a safety benefit. The lateral rack, mounted ahead of the front wheels' centerline on a deformable aluminum subframe, does not impede absorption of crash energy.

Proven Multi-Link Rear Suspension

At the rear of the C-Class, the proven multi-link independent suspension (pioneered by Mercedes-Benz) is tailored specifically to each C-Class model. Engineers redesigned the track links, hub carriers and the subframe as well as all the elastokinematics -- the engineered wheel deflection under extreme load -- to ensure optimum predictability while driven hard. For C230 Kompressor and C320 sport sedan models, seven-spoke, 7.5x17-inch alloy wheels wear 225/45ZR17 tires, while C320 sports coupes wear five-double-spoke alloy wheels, with a 17-inch wheel and tire package optional.