Mercedes unveils new C-Class Estate

The new Mercedes C-Class will make it to India early next year (you can read our review here). And it promises more luxury, more technology, more space and a better ownership experience overall. The model headed to India is the C-Class sedan. Now, Mercedes has unveiled the new C -Class Estate which will go on sale internationally in September. The Estate’s biggest positive (even over the sedan version of the C-Class) is its larger, more useable boot space.

But, don’t for once think that the C-Class is a boring utilitarian looking car; it’s quite the opposite, in fact. Like the sedan, the Estate too as a sense of luxury and contemporariness to its exterior design. Interiors are similar to the sedan version of the India bound C-Class and carry the same rich look and feel, fine execution, and features by the truck-load. The new assistance systems from the C-Class sedan have also been carried over.

The new C-Class Estate has increased in size, not just compared to the sedan, but compared the older generation Estate model as well. It sports an 80mm longer wheelbase at 2840mm, 96mm more length at 4702mm, and it is 40mm wider too at 1810mm compared to the older car. As a result, Mercedes claims, the rear leg room is now 45mm more and the shoulder, elbow and headroom has increased as well.

The boot space – one of the most important consideration aspects for any station wagon buyer – has grown to 1510 litres with the rear seats folded down (an increase of 10 litres) and to 490 litres with the seats in place. The latter is five litres more than on the older car. The new C-Class Estate will also come with Easy Pack power liftgate and Hands-Free Access system as optional extras. These allow opening and closing of the tailgate without having to push any buttons on the car. All it takes is a motion of the foot in the area of the rear bumper.

The engines for the C-Class Estate, as is the case with the sedan, feature both petrol and diesel ones. The diesel models of the new C-Class will use the 2.1-litre, four cylinder diesel with power outputs ranging from 115PS to 204PS. it is the same engine that’s available on the C-class and the E-Class in India, but Mercedes claims it has made some improvements to improve NVH and fuel economy.

The new Mercedes C-Class Estate will get a diesel engine combined with a hybrid module as well. The C 300 BlueTEC Hybrid with four-cylinder diesel engine and compact electric motor generates a power output of 204 + 27 PS. There will also be a petrol hybrid, but the four-cylinder C 350 Hybrid with plug-in technology and a power output of 208 + 67 PS will not be available at launch.

The new Mercedes C-Class Estate might blend luxury and practicality better than the sedan, but given the general dislike Indians have for station wagons, the new C-Class Estate is not destined for Indian shores. However, a cladded, beefed up version of the Estate – in cross form so to speak - with all wheel drive might still have some hope of selling. But, we will have to wait and see.