Luxury car makers spend a lot of time shouting about how sporty their compact sedans are in the race to the top of the Virtual Performance Mountain. But the 2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class where another jig, admits that a lot of car buyers want comfort and luxury in a small footprint and it meets that need rather nicely.
The C-Class has received a new design for 2022 that introduces the new generation as a sedan, with no word yet on when the coupe and convertible (a wagon alone) variant could follow. It retains the same styling as its predecessor, but dramatically restructures the interior and adds some new mechanical changes. I spent a day with sedans around Los Angeles to see what kind of impact these big updates had.
Like most new cars, the C-Class has grown for this new generation. It is 2.5 inches long and 0.4 inches wide, with an inch long wheelbase. The added length helps the new sedan look smoother than before and the cabin seems to be pushed further back to lengthen the hood and give the car a more athletic proportion. The 2022 C-Class borrows a grille and two-piece tail lights from the smaller CLA-Class, but that’s where the match between the two cars ends because the bigger car looks much bigger and different.
2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Initially, the C-Class keeps things simple, and a 48-volt light-hybrid system powered by a 2.0-liter Turbo-4 in the C300 camouflage only provides extra boost. The gas engine produces 255-hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, while the hybrid system adds another 20 hp and 148 lb-ft of short blast. Rear-wheel drive comes standard, all-wheel drive available at $ 2,000 markup. A 9-speed automatic is the only available transmission and the new unit is smaller, 30% lighter, and more efficient than a 9-speed replacement. The transmission does its job well, never hunting too long for gear and responds quickly to paddle shifters. If I have a misconception with this, it is that it does not hold gear well enough when it is automatically switched to Sport and Sport + mode.
Mercedes has combined this gentle-hybrid system with various gas engines, but this is the first time it has been used in a 4-cylinder, and it makes a more noticeable difference when combined with a smaller displacement engine. The effects of the hybrid system are felt at the lowest speeds, constant stops and city driving are smooth at the beginning and add to the overall feeling of C-Class luxury. At high speeds, the digital instrument panel lets you know when the hybrid system starts, but it is difficult to detect because most of the passing power comes from the gas engine.
Below, the C-Class air suspension has been replaced with an adaptive damper for a multi-link independent suspension. My test car also came with the AMG Line package, which adds a sport-tuned version of that suspension. In the most aggressive drive settings, the sedan still feels like it can go up a notch in stiffness to better control the body roll. However it will come at the expense of quality of some rides and it goes against the target of C-Class. It’s possible to have fun behind the wheel, but not as much as you would find among competitors like the Alfa Romeo Giulia, the BMW 3-Series, and the Genesis G70. The counter-argument is that they do not match the purity of the C-Class or its new, technological interior.
2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
A pair of large screens is standard, the instrument cluster has a 12.3-inch display and a vertically oriented 11.9-inch central touchscreen that is finely tilted towards the driver for easy viewing and access. These screens are surrounded by a new dashboard design that in some ways evokes the Mercedes S-Class and even the new EQS. This association further enhances the look of the C-Class, and the interior feels one step above the competition.
The latest version of the Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) powers the screens, and it comes with standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, over-the-air updates, and a voice assistant that activates the phrase “Hey Mercedes”. “Also available is a head-up display and an enhanced reality video feature for the navigation system, both of which were added to the I-powered top-line Pinnacle trim.
2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
The experience of using this system reminded me of EQS in a very good way. It’s sleek and beautiful to look at, but I’ve found a few differences that make it even more complicated. The first is that the screen is a hair smaller than the standard EQS screen and the climate controls at the bottom of the screen never move, cutting off the usable area. Augmented Reality takes a long time to pop up and is a problem when you reach a crossroads without any idea which way to go. Mercedes has confirmed that the C-Class has less processing power than the EQS (which does not suffer from the same problem on its hyperscreen) and could be a contributing factor to the delay.
The interior of the C-Class feels quite spacious for this part, especially for the rear seat occupants who can draw small edges of the stick in many competitors. Although the cabin sits further back, the roof is flat enough to accommodate adults’ heads and backs. The four men in this car could comfortably ride long, long stretches if that were the case.
2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
If the C-Class has a warning, it’s worth it. The Pinnacle trim I tested starts at $ 48,550 for the rear-wheel version, but the tack on the extras and the price goes up quickly. My tester sticker is $ 62,520, a great price for a car without the name “AMG”. For this money you will get the most luxurious experience and comfort offered by this class, but it is one step above the price of the base engine in the segment.
The 2022 C-Class will go on sale this spring.
Mercedes-Benz has dropped a 2022 C-Class in this editor’s condo Motor authority You bring this first hand report.