Mercedes-Benz C-Class News

Selecting a Car of the Year is a bit like lobbing a grenade. It's sure to draw an angry response and you need to be prepared to cop the flak.The CarsGuide crew was bracing for just that as soon as we figured out the two stand-out candidates for this year's Car of the Year were the Falcon XR8 and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class.The irrelevant versus the unaffordable, the detractors would say. They have a point.At a time when hybrids and ultra-efficient turbocharged four-cylinders are the future, the XR8 is so old-school it could be labelled the Falcosaurus.As for the C200, it's the second most expensive car in this year's field. But it pays not to rush to conclusions.The Falcon and the Mercedes-Benz were judged not against their rivals but in terms of how they performed relative to their intended purpose. In other words, whether they did what it said on the box.The judging criteria covered engine performance, safety, driveability, value for money, comfort and practicality. Each car was rated against the criteria, rather than the other finalists.And on that score, it's hard to argue against either choice. As an old-fashioned muscle car, the Falcon delivers on its promise emphatically. The supercharged 335kW V8 is about as hairy-chested as you'll get anywhere in the world for a production sedan. And it makes all the right noises - supercharger whine, V8 burble, exhaust crackles and pops. The transmission is the perfect partner for a high-performance engine.It feels relaxed around town but as soon as it senses the driver is in a hurry it adapts accordingly. Its safety package gets five stars, complemented by huge Brembo brakes and a system that will call 000 if it senses a serious accident.Its cornering ability defies its heft, the cabin is comfortable and spacious and it's big enough for a family of five and their luggage. And the knockout punch is the value: It's basically the same car as the FPV GT, which sold for roughly $25,000 more just last year.The Mercedes, meanwhile, is a completely different beast but equally impressive in the way it nails its brief.The C200 is a glimpse of what will flow down to cheaper cars in the futureThe punchy turbocharged four-cylinder propels the Benz like a six-cylinder, yet sips just 6.0L/100km - a whisker more than the tiny Honda Jazz - thanks to a state of the art seven-speed auto with stop-start technology. The safety arsenal includes nine airbags and a host of driver aids, including fatigue detection, blind spot assistance and collision prevention.Inside, the cabin channels much bigger and more expensive Benzes, with a touchpad controller, satnav, adjustable mood lighting, electric handbrake, reversing camera and much more.On the road it can adjust the way it drives to suit your mood, changing engine and transmission responses, as well as suspension and steering settings.And as with the Falcon, the value equation is compelling. Most of the space-age gadgets, which have flowed down from top-end limousines, are standard. On the competition, most are expensive options.So why the Mercedes and not the Falcon? Because the Ford is a brilliant execution of an age-old idea, but the C200 is a glimpse of what will flow down to cheaper cars in the future. It is the one car in the field that sets a benchmark for automotive excellence. That's why it was a unanimous choice.

Mercedes-Benz C-Class wins CarsGuide 2014 Car Of The Year award as sales figures show it outsold the Ford Falcon by almost two-to-one last month.

As the exhaustive COTY drive program starts, CarsGuide covers the market segments — the focus as ever is on testing real cars for real people on real roads.The field for the 2014 Carsguide Car of the Year contest is in the starting blocks.The 10 contenders cover every corner of Australia’s new-car showroom, from baby cars to SUVs and luxury cars to people-movers. There is even a performance car.The COTY favourite is the Mercedes-Benz C-Class but there are dark horses including the updated VW Polo and Toyota Corolla sedan, as well as the classy little Mazda2 that’s a late inclusion for the contest.And then there is the Ford Falcon XR8, an Aussie hero that’s the poster car for the final FG X Falcon.The two-day COTY contest puts them head-to-head with a simple mantra: real cars for real people on real roads.So we’re looking first at value, then everything from safety to comfort, quality and efficiency. It’s the same approach that most people take to their new-car purchase but with a much sharper focus.VW has dominated the COTY results in recent years with the excellent Golf and Polo, which work so well despite unanswered questions about ownership beyond the warranty.But no one knows what will happen when we get down to voting for the biggest prize in Australia motoring.  The contenders are:Ford Falcon XR8From $52,490This is as good as the Falcon gets, as Ford Australia does all it can to make the FG X special for the time it has left as a car maker at Broadmeadows. Ford fans have been calling for the return of the XR8 for years and the best news is the car picks up the 335kW supercharged V8 engine lifted directly from the discontinued FPV GT.Honda Jazz VTiFrom $14,990Honda retreated in the global financial crisis, and has also just axed the Accord Euro that’s been so popular in Australia. Honda played smart by adding a standard rear-view camera to the new Jazz but that’s just the start for a car that’s a genuine step forward.Honda Odyssey VTiFrom $38,990Few Australians buy people-movers but the new Odyssey provides a good reason to look past an SUV. A genuine family van, it is also well equipped and well built. It’s been a long-term success in Australia, despite rivals including the Toyota Tarago and the latest classy Citroen Picasso.Mazda3 NeoFrom $20,490Australia’s favourite car for 2013 got a total makeover for 2014 that includes everything from the SkyActiv powertrain to a new body and chassis. It’s a looker that backs the style with impressive quality and driving dynamics. The Mazda3 take the fight to the Toyota Corolla for sales and the VW Golf for everything else.Mazda2 NeoFrom $15,790More like a condensed Mazda3 than any previous Mazda2, the Japanese company’s new starter car is mini but definitely not tinny. The cabin quality is impressive, it goes well with SkyActiv technology, and the value is up with a price that’s down.Mercedes-Benz C200From $60,900The world’s oldest car maker performed a magic trick with the new C-Class, creating a condensed S-Class limousine that still comes in below the LCT threshold. It’s packed with technology, takes a new approach to luxury cabin design and drives incredibly well in C200 starter form.Nissan Pathfinder hybridFrom $42,990Earlier Pathfinders were a bit rough-and-ready despite their heavyweight credentials but the new model is much more car-like and a serious alternative to a Toyota Kluger or Ford Territory for Australian families. The hybrid package is the icing on the cake.Subaru WRXFrom $38,990The long-term Subaru hero is still a performance bargain. Its user-friendly constantly variable transmission is one of the biggest changes and challenges to the turbocharged pocket rocket. This time around the emphasis has switched from the engine to the chassis in the WRX, a major departure that changes the game.Toyota Corolla sedanFrom $20,740Four-door compacts are not generally as popular as hatches but that has not stopped Toyota from creating a sedan that trumps its five-door variant. It’s a little more expensive but the pay-off comes in greater refinement in a body that works for many downsizers.VW Polo 66TSI$16,290The starter car for VW in Australia following the axing of the Up is a long way better than basic motoring. It goes surprisingly well, has a solid Golf-style feel and meets most of the needs of baby-car buyers. As always, though, we wonder about life beyond the warranty.We’re looking first at value, then everything from safety to comfort, quality and efficiency. It’s the same approach most people take to their new-car purchase but with a much sharper focus.

AMG puts the C63, E63 and G63 through their paces at a New Zealand ski field.With summer just around the corner, Mercedes-Benz AMG have taken the C63 coupe, E63 sedan and G63 SUV to the snow fields of New Zealand's south island to play with some of the country's finest winter sportsmen.The result is a mix of sports car power, agile skiing and a fair amount of displaced powder.

Comparing the contenders has always been a great way to bag a new-car bargain. So you might be looking at a Holden Commodore but, after watching the Bathurst win last weekend by Paul Morris and Chaz Mostert, decide instead a Ford Falcon is more your style.Or you could be convinced you need a new Toyota HiLux, until you check the prices for rivals such as the Nissan Navara and Mitsubishi Triton. But there is a new twist in the tale.It's all about brands stopping rivals gain ground. And stealing their customers. It's called ambush marketing and it's becoming more common.Earlier this year, on the same day BMW was ripping the covers off its hot rod M3 sedan and M4 coupe, Mercedes-Benz boosted power and cut the price for its belter C63 AMG.As Ford continues the build-up to its FG X, which goes on sale in early December, Holden has just done a 2015 update on its excellent VF Commodore."Ambush marketing is all about stealing someone else's glory," says John Startari, who heads Peugeot and Citroen in Australia. They're challenger brands and he's always looking for a way to lure people from the mainstream. "Remember the Holden blimp? The day it accidentally got blown towards the MCG in a Toyota-sponsored ALF game? Ambush marketing."Even Toyota's AFL sponsorship is a way to one-up companies, like Mazda and Renault and Fiat that support individual teams." There are no boundaries in ambush marketing, with Kia doing a job on half-brother Hyundai in a people-mover stoush this week.As Hyundai previews its updated 2015 seven-seater Santa Fe, Kia has done a value-added package for its rival Sorento. Kia says the "Family Pack" is a $3400 value boost, which is sure to tickle shoppers who put value at the top of their priorities.

New Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG has 375kW of power and 700Nm of torque. The new generation 2015 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG promises to be the most powerful yet, with the company confirming the twin turbo 4.0-litre V8 will have 375kW of power and a whopping 700Nm of torque. The peak outputs are greater than the previous generation E63 AMG, and 50Nm more than the same engine in the AMG GT-S sportscar unveiled a fortnight ago. Company insiders say the 2015 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG is expected to complete the 0 to 100km/h dash in less than 4.2 seconds, the time recorded for the current generation C63 AMG Black Series. Mercedes-Benz is still doing final testing of the new generation car ahead of its global unveiling at the 2014 Paris Motor Show in late September. Spy photos show sedan and wagon versions of the new C63 AMG have been tested on the Nurburgring and high-speed autobahns of Germany. Price is expected to be announced next year, but Carsguide understands it is likely undercut the BMW M3 sedan and BMW M4 coupe despite being faster and more powerful than its German rival. Mercedes-Benz says it has sold 40,000 V8-powered C-Class AMG cars since 1997, but the new model is expected to set new sales records for the mid-sized performance sedan. 

Safer vehicles -- and car affordability at a 38-year high -- deserve at least some of the credit for the record-low road toll announced this week. Figures for July released by the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development show 1157 people died on Australian roads over the past 12 months, down from the 2013 calendar-year tally of 1193 deaths. The latest 12-month tally is the lowest since 1935 when 1100 people died, and is down from a peak of 3978 deaths in 1970 when there were fewer cars on the road -- and the population stood at 12.2 million, a little more than half what it is today. Governments across Australia will no doubt take the credit for the latest reductions in the road toll as speed cameras continue to rake in the cash. But it is worth noting that five of the past six years have been records for new-car sales and most new models have six airbags and stability control (which can prevent a skid) these days. That means there is a greater chance the cars alongside you can avoid a crash in the first place and, if things do sadly go awry, you're more likely to be in a car that's better protected by airbags. The old adage that we don't make 'em like we used to is true when it comes to cars. Back in the Kingswood era, cars were designed to be strong -- and the human body took the brunt of the impact. Modern cars are in fact designed to crumple around you so that the forces on the body -- the rapid deceleration -- are minimised. We shouldn't pat ourselves on the back just yet, however. The average age of cars on our roads is getting younger but it is still not as good as other developed countries. The average age of all cars on Australian roads has dipped to below 10 years for the first time, but is still not as low as Japan, the UK and the USA whose vehicle fleets are an average of six to eight years old. Which is why the thought of opening the floodgates to imported used cars is disturbing. The Federal Government is still considering this flawed proposal. We need to find ways to continue to make new cars more affordable so they can filter onto the used market and be within reach of the masses. Today, you can have a brand-new Honda Jazz with six airbags, a five star safety rating and a rear-view camera for $14,990. Given that Australia's used-car prices are at 10-year lows, chances are near-new two- or three-year-old cars will soon be in the $8000-$9000 price bracket. Imagine how many more lives we can save as the nation's car fleet gets newer and safer -- and imagine the tragedy if a flood of older used cars led to an increase in the road toll. That would most certainly not be progress. Here's hoping common sense prevails. Fast facts Motorists need to give cyclists a bigger safety gap as the number of fatalities has risen by a staggering 44 per cent over the past year -- to 56 deaths in the 12 months to July 2014, or more than one fatality a week. The latest figures show Australia's road toll has fallen to a new low -- and deaths of 17-to-25-year-olds have dropped by 33 per cent over the past five years -- but fatalities among those aged over 65 have increased by 10 per cent over the same period. Five years ago, 307 drivers aged 17-to-25 died on the nation's roads compared to 235 road users over the age of 65. But in the 12 months to July, 204 young drivers died compared to 258 deaths of those aged over 65. Road deaths over the past five years are down in every state in Australia except Tasmania, where the road toll is up by 28 per cent (from 32 in the 12 months to July 2010, to 41 deaths in the 12 months to July 2014). The latest figures show motor vehicle fatalities in Australia have fallen to five deaths per 100,000 people for the first time since records were kept -- but our roads are still the 16th most dangerous among OECD countries, behind Turkey (4.99), Finland (4.71), Germany (4.39), Switzerland (4.26) and Spain (4.12). Figures from the World Health Organisation show China and India have much higher road fatality rates (approximately 20 deaths per 100,000 people according to 2010 data). The worst places on the planet for road deaths are the Dominican Republic (41.7 fatalities per 100,000 people), Thailand (38.1), Venezuela (37.2), South Africa (31.9), Iran (34.1), Iraq (31.5) and Oman (30.4), the WHO data showed.

A small price rise for a bigger car with better features will mark August's rollout of the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

New generation Mercedes-Benz C63-S to pack 375kW of power.

Petrol-electric luxury sedan to travel 30km on a single charge.Mercedes-Benz is working on a petrol-electric version of its new C-Class sedan that will use half as much fuel as a Toyota Prius and be able to travel at least 30km on electric power alone. Executives in Germany told Australian media overnight that a plug-in hybrid option is being developed for the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and is expected to sip just 2L/100km and emit just 50 grams of CO2 per kilometre. By way of comparison, a Toyota Prius sips 3.9L/100km and emits 89g/km of CO2. Mercedes-Benz says the fuel miser version of the C-Class is under consideration for sale in Australia -- if it can be priced below $100,000. "Anecdotally, some customers feel pressure from their children or their grandchildren to buy a more (environmentally) responsible car," said Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman David McCarthy. "(However) one of the concerns we have in Australia is where the (electric) energy is created." Mr McCarthy said the majority of electricity generated in Australia comes from coal-fired power stations "which merely moves the emissions from the tailpipe to a power station". Nevertheless, the plug-in hybrid Mercedes-Benz C-Class is a strong chance for making it to Australian showrooms in late 2015 or early 2016. As super-frugal car it will get a concession on Luxury Car Tax; only 33 per cent of the car’s price above $75,000 (instead of $61,884) will incur LCT because it sips less than 7.0L/100km.