Mercedes-Benz C350 News

Mercedes-Benz Australia has announced sweeping price changes for its C-Class Sedan and Estate ranges, with increases of $500 to $1596 before on-road costs affecting all variants as of this month.

The future has slipped quietly into Australia with Mercedes-Benz announcing the arrival and pricing of the first of its plug-in hybrid models.

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

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. 

A new Mercedes-Benz C-Class is on the way, and tipped to get a global debut at the Detroit motor show in January -- although some think it might be unveiled even earlier, at next month's LA show.The German carmaker has already started the drip feed of teases, and -- while the Mercedes S-Class CoupeThat all suggests what we're seeing is their mainstay model in sedan version, which will be followed in short order by a coupe, wagon, sporty liftback coupe and convertible, plus a high-performance AMG variant.The accompany statement talks about "an interior with high-class ambience, a new touchpad control surface and a lightweight bodyshell" but gives no further information. However the C-Class is reported to 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.It will also be the first C-Class to offer air suspension for high spec models and a hybrid on the drivetrain list along with 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre petrol engines and 2.0-litre and 2.2-litre diesels.Following its debut, the C-Class will hit overseas showrooms about mid-2014 as a 2015 model, and arrive here before the end of next year, although local launch dates and specification have not yet been confirmed.

Stand-by for a short-term price war as car dealers panic sell to clear orders cancelled due to the Rudd Government’s controversial changes to Fringe Benefits Tax rules.“Thousands of cars here or on their way here have had their orders cancelled or postponed because of the sudden changes to FBT," said Richard Dudley, the CEO of the Australian Automobile Dealers Association.“There will be an initial glut of new cars but what happens depends on the outcome of the election. The government is not prepared to move on its FBT decision whereas the opposition says they will abolish the changes."As Ford Australia confirmed it is considering cutting production of the Falcon sedan and Territory SUV, its arch rival Holden issued an urgent bulletin to dealers offering new discounts across most of its model range.“Due to the uncertainty created by the recent announcement on FBT … Holden is offering an additional bonus over and above the current retail incentives”, the confidential bulletin obtained by News Corp said.All new Holdens except the Commodore have an extra $1000 slashed from their prices while the Colorado 4WD has an extra $2000 discount. It means the cheapest car in the Holden range, the Barina Spark, can be bought for $12,990 drive-away.Toyota is understood to be preparing to clear up to 1000 Camrys over the next two months because it is unable to cut production at short notice. The last time Toyota had to quit Camrys, prices dipped to $27,990 drive-away, about $5000 off RRP.Ford, which will end production in Australia in 2016, has foreshadowed further cutbacks. “We can confirm we are looking at what mean for our August production,” said Ford spokeswoman Sinead Phipps.Ford Australia has also put an immediate halt on its employee company-car program. “We’re not calling cars back, but we’re not issuing any new ones at this stage.”Manufacturers have stopped most company-car deliveries to their own staff because the new rules will increase their FBT bills by more than $50 million -- an estimated $20 million each for Toyota and Holden and about $15 million for Ford which has a smaller fleet.The car industry is yet to accurately measure the impact of the FBT changes on new-car sales because the data is compiled on the last day of the month.“It is too early to determine the impact of the FBT on sales after just 10 days, but we will likely see a slowdown in the next two months,” said Tony Weber, the chief executive of the Federal Chamber Automotive Industries. “Long term, if the FBT changes are not reversed, we expect to see a reduction in new-car sales of at least 10 per cent.”Industry estimates say a 10 per cent drop in new-car sales would wipe $1.3 billion in GST revenue a year. When the Rudd Government announced the changes to company car tax rules it forecast a contribution of $1.8 billion towards the axing of the carbon tax.State governments would also miss out on an estimated $100 million in stamp duty revenue from new-car sales and about $50 million in registration fees each year.Luxury car buyers will also be able to grab a bargain. BMW took out advertisements in daily press during the week advising customers against novated leasing because under the new circumstances “a novated lease may no longer be the most suitable way” to buy a new car.Mercedes-Benz is understood to have a surplus of about 400 of its most affordable sedan, the C-Class, which is Australia’s second-biggest selling medium-sized car after the Toyota Camry.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling 

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.

Hornsby’s fledgling Mercedes dealership has won the car maker's metropolitan dealership of the year award for the past two years.Greg Stewart, the dealership's principal, who has worked on Hornsby's north shore Auto Alley on the Pacific Highway for more than 20 years, credited local customers with his business's success.“We're a good community here Hornsby's a really nice place to sell cars,” he said. “There's a great bunch of people on the upper north shore.”The national award is based on a sales target and customer service feedback. “We have worked very hard on looking after our customers,” Mr Stewart said.The dealership has been in its present location for two-and-a-half years and the C-Class is the locals' favourite Merc. 

It's the clear sign that this is the next all-new Benz compact, taking over from the C-Class that already leads the field in Australia after a massive recent makeover.The next C-Class picks up the styling direction of the CLS, which is too brutal for many, with the promise of a miserly three-cylinder engine to open the action. Here in 2014 at a similar price to the current one.