The people wait for something new especially if it is by pioneers. Here we are talking about the people who love cars and the pioneer in manufacturing luxurious cars - Mercedes-Benz. Mercedes-Benz has been a favorite car among luxury car lovers since the day the company started manufacturing vehicles. The continuous upgrading and efforts for betterment of their automobiles results in a high demand, and when they launch any new model it rocks the market of the luxury automobile industry. The sedans that Mercedes manufactures are excellent and simply outstanding in their performance. They are known for their high-end style and enthusiasts of all ages are turned-on by the extravagant machines.

As time has gone on Mercedes has changed its sedans to meet all of the demands and expectations of new generations rather than sticking to outdated models with no more potency. This continued when they launched the 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class. The car has been redesigned with the exceptions of its three-pointed star – the mark of glory. The car is new and improved, setting the latest trends in the automobile industry.

This astounding sedan with spectacular looks was launched at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart providing a sentimental backdrop. This was its most significant new Mercedes-Benz model since the launch of the 2005 S-Class. While launching this royal model, looking at the established brand, it was quite understood that the sedan would offer refinement and great comfort with new high standards of performance making your journeys joyful.

The latest C-Class is an all-new redesigned model and the fourth generation of the entry-level sedans offered by Mercedes. Mercedes-Benz first introduced the 190 Class (W201) that was promptly dubbed the ‘Baby Benz’ in the year of 1982. The C-Class then replaced the 190 Class in the year of 1993 (W202). The betterment of the C-Class continued as the W202 generation was then replaced by a new model that debuted in the year 2000 (W203). The new 2008 C-Class (W204) that is now available is a bigger model, as compared to the model it replaced, in almost every dimension including overall length, wheelbase, front and rear shoulder room and trunk space.

Available Models

The all-new 2008 Mercedes Benz C-Class is an entry-level luxury car available within the US in five different models. The C300 Luxury and C300 Sport share the same engine but they differ in the external style and body, interior trim, standard transmission and front seat design. Both of the C300 models standard features include 17” wheels, a sunroof, eight-way power front seats, MB-Tex cloth upholstery, tilt-telescoping steering-wheel, Bluetooth connectivity, and CD stereo with an auxiliary audio jack. All C300s can be advanced with premium packages that offer rain-sensing wipers, auto-dimming mirrors, satellite radio and heated front seats. The COMAND Navigation control interface with pop-up LCD display screen is also available.

 

The 2008 is also available in a C350 Sport Sedan model. The C350 is very much the same as the C300 with the exception of its upgraded more powerful 3.5L engine and AMG wheels. Other models in this class are the C300 4Matic Luxury and the C300 4Matic Sport, featuring exactly the same as above but with an added all-wheel drive system for better grip and power on the road.

Performance and Powertrain

As usual, Mercedes rocks with its newly launched 2008 C-Class models. All of the models, except for the C350, are powered by a 3.0-liter V6 engines that is able to carry a heavy load while continuing to offer a smooth drive, ensuring that the car won’t have difficulty in breathing even at high speeds! The engine produces 228hp and 221 pound-feet torque. The seven-speed automatic is standard with C300 Luxury but optional with the C300 sports sedan, which comes standard with a six-speed manual.

Mercedes-Benz claims speeds of 0-60mph within 7 seconds, making an experience of flying on the road. All C-Class models come standard with rear-wheel drive except for the C300 4 Matics, which are all-wheel drive.

The C350 Sport is powered by 3.5-liter V6, which produces 268hp and 258-lb-ft of torque. The seven-speed automatic is the only choice you have in it. Some of the practical testing reveals the car going from 0-60mph in just 6.2 seconds, which is certainly fast.

Mercedes estimates fuel economy at an average of 17mpg in the city and 25mpg on the freeway for the C350, and 18.25 mpg for the rear-drive C300 models equipped with an automatic transmission.

Safety and Security

The 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class features a full load of standard safety equipment. The front-side airbags and full-length curtain airbags really provide safety in diverse conditions such as sudden collision. Active front head restraints and stability control offer a secure drive. Other great features like traction control and adaptive antilock brakes (including brake assist, brake drying, pre-pressure and hill-start assist) complete the pack of safety in these luxurious sedans.

Interiors and Specialties

The car, with doors open, features excellent luxury amenities. The interiors are lavishly designed keeping the comfort level of the driver and passengers in mind. The interior has smart new innovations which combine physical dash buttons with a mouse-like controller and a large LCD screen that pops out of the dash upon startup, offering you the welcome note!

The Mercedes C-Class can also be equipped with a Multimedia Package which includes COMAND Navigation. This upgrade transforms the car into a mobile sound studio giving you theater experience within your own private vehicle. There is built-in hard drive that powers up the navigation system and stores up to 4GB (1000 songs?) of MP3 files. The trunk capacity is 12.4 cubic feet of space that can be expanded with the optional split folding rear seats to increase cargo capacity if needed.

Base Pricing

The bold new 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class lineup begins at $31,975 for the C300 Sport Sedan (228 hp, 221 lb-ft. of torque). The all-new C300 Luxury Sedan (228 hp, 221 lb-ft. of torque) will be priced at $33,675, followed by the C350 Sport Sedan (268 hp, 258 lb-ft. of torque) at $37,275. All prices include a $775 destination fee.

Options Pricing

P1 Option Package — $1,400 (standard on C350) includes:
• Satellite Radio
• Heated Seats
• Autodimming/folding mirrors
• Garage Door Opener
• Rain Sensor

P2 Option Package — $2,750 includes all of P1 features and:
• Bi-Xenon Headlamps
• Corner-Illuminating Foglamps
• Split-Folding Rear Seat
• Rear Sunshade

Multimedia Package — $2,700
• COMAND Navigation
• 6-Disc DVD Changer
• Harman/kardon LOGIC 7 Surround Sound
• Voice Control

Stand Alone Options:
• 7-Speed Automatic (standard on C300 Lux and C350 Sport;): $1,440
• 6-Disc in-dash CD Changer: $450
• Panorama Sunroof : $1,000
• Leather Upholstery: $1,550
• TeleAid: $820
• 18" AMG Split Spoke Alloy Wheels (RWD sport only): $1,000

With the launch of the 2008 Mercedes Benz C-Class, the company tried to put together a good blend of its ‘Sport’ and ‘Luxury’ models in its C-Class lineup. According to Mercedes-Benz, there is no other vehicle in the company’s 124-year history that has undergone such a great and broad use of space-age computer modeling.

The unexampled virtual testing of various aspects of the design, in addition to the sedan’s hardware itself, helped advance its design to a higher level long before the first prototype was built. This provided additional time for actual road testing, according to Mercedes-Benz. All the effort came with a reward when this sexy body was unveiled as the curtain was raised, showing an astounding refinement inside and outside of the new C-Class sedan.

Overall, the 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class has proven itself to be the great luxury car that you would expect from Mercedes-Benz. The company once again is creating noticeable milestones in the automobile industry by implementing innovative technology that is pushing the industry to new heights in automobile engineering.

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