Mercedes-Benz C250 2014 News

Last year the vehicle market notched up a record with 1,136,227 sales, busting the previous zenith by about 24,000 and confirming that in Australia, one million-plus is the norm.Figures for November, released last week, show sales have already passed the million mark, and when the final tally emerges in early January the industry will congratulate itself on another bumper year.In reality, it has spent most of 2014 in reverse and it would take a freak December to even approach last year's total.If the trend holds, then the overall decline will be about 2 per cent - equivalent to 500 fewer buyers a week. But it's a mixed picture for the 50 or so brands, with the gap between winners and losers larger than ever.With one or two exceptions, the winners by a substantial margin are luxury brands. Their share of the market now approaches 9 per cent, up from 7.7 per cent last year, and it's reflected in some impressive numbers.The German luxury trio dominates but Australia bucks the trend by favouring Mercedes-Benz ahead of BMW and Audi.With its small car range - the A, B, CLA and GLA - flying out of showrooms, the three-pointed star is stretching its lead over BMW and rubs it in by selling more of its expensive performance variants as well.Its bestseller, the C-Class, has been available for only a few months but will finish the year as the third most popular mid-size car at any price - behind only the Toyota Camry and Mazda6.Audi's ambition is to overtake its German peers and become No 1 here, replicating its position in Europe and China. After slowing in 2012, its growth spurt has resumed and it's catching BMW on the strength of its award-winning A3 small car.Some of the second-tier luxury brands are powering ahead even faster. Thanks to its new-generation Range Rover and Range Rover Sport, demand for the British SUV specialist is up 22 per cent. It will finish as the fourth most popular luxury marque.Ironically, SUV demand is also powering Porsche. It cannot get enough of its second SUV, the Macan, and waiting times are stretching the patience of buyers. Without the Macan, Porsche was on track for a record. With it, sales are up almost 50 per cent. When Maserati adds an SUV, the Levante, in 2016 it can expect to get a comparable boost.Super-large, super-expensive SUVs are what the elite badges lack but they are all working on one. Even so, Maserati's push for volume is yielding results. The new-generation large sedans Ghibli and Quattroporte have almost tripled sales this year.Even among the luxury brands there are losers. Volvo lacks the deep pockets of the Germans and is struggling to keep its product pipeline full. Its dealers will doubtless breathe easier when the overdue replacement for its XC90 SUV arrives in the second quarter next year, with sales down 7 per cent in 2014.Lexus is another that has waited too long for fresh product and its NX mid-size SUV arrives too late to prevent it treading water.Among mainstream brands, losers are much easier to find than winners. Over-optimism and the pressure to grow meant many ended 2013 carrying too much stock, with Nissan the standout - but far from sole - example.The traditional solution to this problem, and one by no means limited to mainstream brands, is for the distributor and/or dealers to register cars themselves.It's a way of meeting sales targets but it simply saves up trouble, not the least of which is an excess of ageing 'demonstrator' models that sooner or later have to actually be sold. When they are, the sales have already been counted.Combine that with an assault on their traditional territory by the luxury brands and everyone from Toyota to Honda, Holden to Ford, has seen their numbers go south.But the biggest losers in 2014? Cheap Chinese brands, with Chery sales down 35 per cent and Great Wall almost 60 per cent.

Design of the all-new Mercedes C-Class wagon has plenty of style, yet doesn't appear to have sacrificed practicality.

The US car industry has come full circle and returns to old-fashioned horsepower at this year's Detroit motor show, with large pick-ups and "America's Ferrari" set to steal the limelight from imported exotica.Centre of attention at the show, which opened overnight Australian time, is Ford's new F Series truck, which has for decades held the title as the planet's favourite vehicle and makes a watershed move to aluminium construction.The bold decision, aimed at cutting fuel consumption, takes aluminium mainstream and makes Forda pioneer in volume production using the metal.Demand for pick-ups has rebounded since the global financial crisis and Ford sold more than 760,000 of the outgoing F Series last year, up 18 per cent.It has kept details of the redesign secret and will hope it can upstage its rival from General Motors, the Chevrolet Silverado, tipped to win Truck of the Year.US buyers strongly favour full-size pick-ups but last year GM broke ranks and offered a version of the smaller Colorado, described as "mid-size" in the US. At a preview event for the show, GM unveiled the GMC Canyon, a more upmarket version of the Colorado with a bull nose and acres of chrome.It marked the first appearance for Mary Barra since she was named chief executive - the only woman to lead one of the car giants. "I'm honoured to stand here tonight and humbly lead this team," Ms Barra said. "It's a team of men and women doing unbelievably great work."It comes just weeks after GM shed its "government motors" tag, with Washington selling the last of the shares acquired during the GFC. As well as a truck award, GM is also in the running for Car of the Year with two out of the three finalists -- a Cadillac and its reborn Chevrolet Corvette. The new Corvette has earned a reputation for delivering Italian sportscar performance at a fraction of the price. A track-focused version, called the Z06, will be GM's show star.The Z06 will compete for crowd attention with the Ford Mustang, which makes its first public appearance after private unveilings last month.GM's recovery milestone has a parallel at Chrysler, after Fiat recently acquired complete control.The smallest of the US "Big Three" is now wholly foreign-owned but rebounding thanks to a focus on Americana, with its controversially redesigned Jeep Cherokee SUV winning over sceptics. It too is in the running for Truck of the Year.Unlike the F Series and Corvette, it will be shipped to Australia starting mid-year. Hometown drawcards will force foreign brands backstage despite an impressive line-up.German and Japanese carmakers are also stressing traditional petrol-driven horsepower with an exceptional crop of performance cars. BMW debuts two halo junior executives in the M3 sedan and M4 coupe, which drop V8s in favour of six cylinders but have more power and better efficiency thanks to turbocharging.Lexus has the M4 in its sights with the RC F, a V8 coupe based on its mid-size luxury sedan. Meanwhile, Mercedes rolls out its next generation C-Class and a tuned version of its small off-roader, the GLA 45 AMG; Porsche shows a retro-flavoured 911 Targa sportscar; and Mini a concept that previews the upcoming John Cooper Works go-fast edition.Audi will attract attention for a crossover concept. It is expected to preview its smallest SUV yet, likely to be called Q1. The Detroit show has yet to return to its glory days of over-the-top presentations and for-the-fun-of-it concept cars, but the industry has been bolstered by 15.6 million sales last year and newfound confidence after the economic storm of four years ago.   

Mercedes has given the coming C-Class a boost to a more upmarket level, drawing on styling and features from its flagship S-Class. The new C gets technology and cabin treatment that raise the bar against key rivals like the Audi A4 and the BMW 3 Series and 4 Series.Watch the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class video on our desktop site. 

Spy photographers have snapped the 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class dressed in AMG Sport fit-out. Like our earlier photos of the coming C-Class, these shots give more angles on the influences from the S-Class, with the C starting to look like a baby S.These photos give us the first look at the new C with AMG wheels and body kit, plus the twin exhaust tips in the rear shot - but which will also include dynamic goodies under the skin. The AMG pack is worn here by the sedan, but will be followed by a coupe, wagon, sporty liftback coupe and convertible, plus a high-performance full AMG model.Mercedes has already revealed the interior, also showing influences from the S-Class, including a new touchpad control surface, heads-up display and fragrance dispenser. The German carmaker promises a lightweight bodyshell, with the new C-Class tipped to be built on a shortened version of the new MRA rear-wheel drive platform underpinning the S-Class flagship, with an all-wheel drive version in the mix.Launching overseas mid-2014 as a 2015 model -- and arriving here before the end of 2014 -- it will be the first C-Class to offer air suspension for upper spec variants, and to have a hybrid engine joining the drivetrain list's 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre petrol engines and 2.0-litre and 2.2-litre diesels.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott

Contrasting with the industry-wide shift to more compact V-configuration six-cylinder engines, Mercedes-Benz is reportedly planning a return to the straight-six arrangement for future large models.The straight-six was a cornerstone of Mercedes models until its replacement with V6 engines in the mid-90s, but UK magazine Autocar reports that a straight-six will sit atop a new family of modular engines under development, which will include smaller three and four cylinder versions.  Despite the demonstrated packaging advantages of a more compact V6 engine, reduced production costs through increased parts commonality between piston counts is likely to be driving the shift.The new engines are expected to make their debut in the next-generation E-Class in 2016, before filtering down to the C-Class in 2017 as part of the upcoming new model’s mid-cycle refresh. The three and four cylinder engines are also likely to see duty in the smaller A and B-Class models.Also expected for the 2016 E-Class is a new ‘Autobahn Pilot’ function, which is said to expand Mercedes’ semi-autonomous technologies with guidance for overtaking situations.In the meantime, sources have confirmed that the AMG versions of the upcoming C-Class will use a twin-turbo 4.0 litre petrol V8 with a seven-speed auto and the availability of 4-Matic all-wheel drive in right-hand drive for the first time. A sports-tuned Speedshift version of the recently-announced nine-speed auto is expected to arrive with the 2017 refresh. At the more frugal end of the spectrum, the upcoming plug-in hybrid version of the C-Class is reportedly nearing the end of its development, with a targeted C02 figure of 60g/km suggesting a combined fuel figure in the vicinity of 2.6L/100km.This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn  

The interior and fresh details have been revealed for the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class that will arrive here in the second half of next year, following its global debut at the Detroit motor show in January.Taking the fight to the Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series, Mercedes says the all-new car will be better specced, up to 100kg lighter and have 20 per cent better fuel-economy -- but without any sacrifice of power. The weight savings largely come from extensive use of aluminium body panels which has risen from nine per cent in the current model to 48 per cent in the new one, which partly counters the extra features and technology it gains.The upgraded interior styling borrows from Merc's flagship S-Class and the CLA-Class, with saddle-stitched upholstery and a raft of high-tech goodies led by a heads-up display that projects satnav, speed, adaptive cruise control status, speed limits and other information.There's a 7-inch (17.8cm) COMAND infotainment screen that can be optioned up to 8.4-inch 21.3cm), with a new 6.5x4.5cm haptic touchpad control.Innovative GPS-linked air conditioning can detect when it automatically needs to switch to recirculation -- to avoid ingesting, say, a tunnel's cloud of fumes -- and offers improved air filtering, ionisation and 'fragrancing'.Safety features include a front passenger airbag that disengages if sensors detect a child seat has been positioned there, plus an array of braking, parking, lighting, inattention and other warning and assistance systems including one that can read some traffic signs.Leading the options list is the electronically controlled Airmatic suspension system that lets you choose between four different firmness settings from cushy to extra-sporty -- or dial in your own combinations -- and automatically lowers the body at higher speeds to improve aerodynamics and economy.  

The tech is currently making inroads in the world of commercial helmets and portable devices. It's also been available on a few other models for some time now.Mercedes-Benz, however, has finally decided to jump into the world of Head-Up Displays and will offer it as an optional extra on the upcoming 2014 S-Class and next-generation C-Class. Initially wary of the tech, Mercedes has apparently come around to the idea of displaying pertinent information in a convenient spot.Mercedes stated that it doesn't make sense for them to only make it available on one model. To make money on this program, customers will have to have access to it on a variety of models. This means you can expect to see the HUD being rolled out on a wider range of vehicles as time goes on.The type of information to be displayed includes speed, navigation information, and any potential warning lights that might pop up. Benz engineers previously felt that a HUD acted as a distracting device to a driver, but it's clear they have come around.That, or the marketing and sales folks forced the engineers to cave a bit. Seeing as these are German engineers, we don't think they caved but rather saw the lights pop-up right in front of their eyes.www.motorauthority.com

It's still wrapped in camouflage, and based on the current C-Class body, but packs the 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8 already fitted to a range of AMG models including the SL63.This reporter is on Twitter: @paulwardgover  

Looking like a shrunken version of the all-new S-Class coming this year, it's still wrapped in camouflage during development testing in Scandinavia.