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Now arriving in Mercedes-Benz showrooms, the C 320 CDI sees the German car-maker’s superlative 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 join the list of impressive engine options available for customers of the all-new C-Class. This is the same power unit that has impressed customers world-wide in other passenger car models and SUVs from the Mercedes catalogue, offering seemingly endless torque and remarkable fuel economy.

The C 320 CDI takes pride of place as the range leader for the all-new C-Class and arrives at a time when demand for this new model reaches an all-new high since its release in late July.

“Confirming the C 320 CDI for Australian showrooms earlier this month generated a great customer response,” said Horst von Sanden, managing director for the Mercedes Car Group in Australia.

“It seems we’re not the only ones keen for this new model to join our showrooms,” said von Sanden.

The C 320 CDI is priced from $92,800 (excluding dealer delivery and statutory charges). This new range-leader boasts the same impressive list of standard safety, luxury and driving equipment found in the C 280 petrol V6, but gains three-zone THERMOTRONIC climate control in addition to the brilliant 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel power unit.

The V6 CDI motor in the C 320 CDI expands the range of engines available for the new C-Class to four, joining the C 200 Kompressor, C 220 CDI four-cylinder turbo-diesel and C 280 V6 petrol.

The performance from the Mercedes-Benz V6 turbo-diesel engine is the product of state-of-the-art technology and engineering, simultaneously hitting the seemingly incompatible targets of performance, economy and low exhaust emissions.

The 3.0-litre engine produces a maximum power level of 165 kW and a peak torque of 510 Newton metres, which is available between a very low 1600 and 2800 rpm.

This up-to-date direct-injection diesel unit is equipped with third-generation common-rail technology. Its advanced features include rapid and precise piezo-injectors, as well as a maximum injection pressure of up to 1600 bar.

This technology allows for not only an impressive fuel consumption figure of only 7.4-litres per 100km travelled (combined cycle) but also swift performance, with the C 320 CDI able to travel from 0-100km/h in 6.9 seconds.

The choice of materials, technical design and engine management system of the V6 turbo-diesel engine are state-of-the-art. Mercedes-Benz has developed an aluminium crankcase with cast-in grey iron cylinder liners for this diesel engine, a design feature which makes a major contribution to weight reduction. As a result, the new six-cylinder engine weighs a total of only around 208 kilograms (acc. to DIN) and achieves a remarkable power-to-weight ratio of 0.83 kW/kg -- a major contribution to the outstanding performance and agility offered by the new C 320 CDI.

The C 320 CDI: key data

Driving agility: shock absorbers that keep pace with the driving situation

The C 320 CDI also boasts the special blend of agility and comfort that has quickly been identified as one of the many exceptional strengths of the new C-Class, courtesy of the standard-fitment AGILITY CONTROL package. This features shock absorbers which automatically adapt to the current driving situation for a noticeable improvement in ride comfort when driving normally. As soon as a more dynamic driving style is adopted, the maximum damping forces are set to stabilise the car effectively and give a distinct change in higher-speed handling.

The new C-Class range has been the product of exhaustive research and testing, during which it demonstrated its typical Mercedes-Benz levels of safety in over 100 crash tests. The model range’s occupant protection concept is underpinned by an intelligently designed bodyshell, and boasts Mercedes-Benz’s PRE-SAFE anticipatory occupant protection system. This safety system makes use of the time before an imminent accident to prepare the vehicle and its occupants for a collision. The result is a considerable reduction in the loads exerted on the passengers upon impact.

Occupants are protected by a total of eight airbags as standard fitment. The driver, front passenger and the passengers on the outer rear seats also benefit from belt tensioners and belt force limiters.

The NECK-PRO head restraints in the front have a crash-responsive design, meaning that they move to cushion the heads of the driver and front passenger at an early stage in a rear-end collision to protect against the risk of whiplash.

Standard features such as the Brake Assist and Electronic Stability Program ESP® make vital contributions to accident prevention.

 The C 320 CDI shares the latest, state-of-the-art technology with the current C-Class model range to provide outstanding safety, comfort and agility. This includes the newly developed AGILITY CONTROL package with situation-responsive shock absorber control and the PRE-SAFE® preventive occupant protection system.

With a length of 4581 millimetres, the Saloon is 55 millimetres longer than its predecessor. The body width has increased by 42 mm to 1770 millimetres, and the wheelbase by 45 mm to 2760 millimetres. These dimensions create the conditions for a generously sized interior, and therefore more comfort. The front shoulder room has increased by 40 millimetres, for example.

In the ELEGANCE model (standard on the new C 320 CDI) Mercedes-Benz employs a three-dimensional, louvered radiator grille with the Mercedes star in pride of place on the bonnet, and the high-gloss paint finish accentuates other brand-typical attributes such as comfort and luxury.

This "product-in-product" concept enables Mercedes customers to accentuate individual choices, and configure the C-Class to suit their personal taste and lifestyle even more emphatically than before. Both models offer the same, extraordinary driving experience that the saloon provides by virtue of further technical improvements. Both by its outstanding long-distance comfort and its dynamic handling, the C-Class sets new standards in this market segment.

AGILITY CONTROL – this is the term used by Mercedes-Benz for all new and further developments that improve both comfort and agility in equal measure. This standard package includes the AGILITY CONTROL suspension, which controls the shock absorber forces according to the driving situation: when driving normally with low shock absorber impulses, the damping forces are automatically reduced for a noticeable improvement in ride comfort – but without any compromise in handling safety. When driving more dynamically, the maximum damping forces are set and the car is effectively stabilised. The AGILITY CONTROL steering of the new C-Class has a ratio of 14.5, and is therefore six percent more direct than the steering of the preceding model.

ADAPTIVE BRAKE is another new development in the area of running gear technology. This is based on the technology of the S-Class and provides additional support functions for even more safety and comfort. Examples include Start-Off Assist for uphill gradients, priming the braking system in critical situations and light contact to dry the brake discs in wet conditions.

During the course of its development, the new C-Class successfully passed more than 100 crash tests, including the particularly demanding, in-house impact tests of which some go well beyond the legal requirements. Passing these is a precondition for the highest accolade in automobile safety: the Mercedes star. Occupant protection is based on an intelligently designed bodyshell, 70 percent of which consists of high-strength and ultra high-strength steel. Compared to the previous series, Mercedes-Benz has enlarged the deformation zones even further and improved energy flows. The front-end structure of the new C-Class has four independently acting impact levels, which enable forces to be distributed over a wide area while bypassing the passenger cell.

The safety technology in the interior has been complemented with the very latest protection systems. Eight airbags are included as standard equipment: two adaptive airbags for the driver and front passenger, two sidebags in the front seat backrests as well as sidebags for the rear seat row along with two large windowbags which extend from the A to the C-pillar during a side impact. The driver, front passenger and the passengers on the outer rear seats also benefit from belt tensioners and belt force limiters as standard. The standard head restraints operate on the NECK PRO principle: during a rear-end collision the padded surfaces are pushed forward within milliseconds to support the heads of the driver and front passenger at an early stage. This significantly reduces the risk of a whiplash injury.

PRE-SAFE® is another special feature of the new Mercedes Saloon. This preventive occupant protection system (fitted as standard equipment) is linked to active safety systems such as ESP® and Brake Assist, and is able to recognise critical driving manoeuvres at a very early stage. If the C-Class is in danger of crashing as a result of heavy under or oversteering, or if the driver needs to brake very heavily in a dangerous situation, PRE-SAFE® activates certain systems as a precaution to prepare the vehicle and its occupants for an impending accident. Accordingly the passive safety phase does not begin when the impact has already occurred, but before an impending collision.

Interior design "cast from a single mould"

When developing the cockpit, Mercedes designers took their lead from the sporty sector and included clearly laid-out dial instruments such as may be found in roadsters or coupés. Silver-coloured bezels, black dial faces, white markings and glowing orange needles perfectly combine form with function for a high value impression and easy legibility.

Equally clearly laid out and well-arranged, the two-tone dashboard and centre console of the new C-Class form a harmonious unit in line with the "design cast from a single mould" principle. The same applies to the integration of the colour display at the upper centre of the dashboard. This is perfectly positioned within the driver’s line of vision, but can also be covered or folded away as required, without switching off the radio, navigation system or other units linked to the display. If the pivoting cover of the display aperture is closed, the infotainment units continue to operate.

The central colour display is part of the new control and display concept which the new C-Class has adopted from the luxury-class Mercedes models. Its major advantage is rapid access to frequently used functions, which means that the driver does not need to relearn, is able to maintain familiar habits and feels at home immediately. All the control and display elements necessary and important during a journey are located in the cockpit, i.e. in immediate proximity to the driver.

In the same way, linking the standard multifunction steering wheel with the instrument cluster is an important precondition for rapid access to a wide range of information and functions in the driver’s direct line of vision. Other functions such as infotainment are shown by the display at the centre of the dashboard. The driver and front passenger are able to control the radio, navigation system or telephone by using a controller on the centre console, or access the main menus using direct selection keys.

The Audio 20 and COMAND APS systems are a range of newly developed, optional infotainment units for C-Class passengers. They all feature a keypad for entering telephone numbers and radio frequencies, as well as a Bluetooth interface which wirelessly connects the mobile phone to the hands-free system.

The multimedia system COMAND APS offers even more functions than before in the new C-Class. One new feature is an Australia / New Zealand-wide navigation system, the data of which is stored on a hard disc (30 gigabytes). The high-resolution maps are shown on a colour display (7-inch) which pivots away and disappears beneath a cover at the touch of a button. Other functions of COMAND APS include a music server with a four-gigabyte memory, an integrated 6-disc changer, a DVD-player for video and audio, and the LINGUATRONIC voice control system, which Mercedes-Benz has likewise improved further. The voice control system allows for ideal convenience when selecting radio stations or entries in the telephone directory.

The new C-Class saloon replaces a model series of which more than 1.4 million units have been sold since spring 2000. All in all, Mercedes-Benz has delivered more than two million of the Saloon, Estate and Sports Coupé models in the previous C-Class to customers all over the world. This makes the C-Class the bestseller in the Mercedes-Benz passenger car range. Germany is the largest market for the C-Class, accounting for around 30 percent of worldwide sales.

During its seven years in the Australian market, the outgoing W203 C-Class range was the choice of more than 32,000 customers, making it the most popular passenger car in the German car maker’s Australian catalogue.

Australian pricing for the C-Class model range

* Excludes dealer delivery and statutory charges

Mercedes-Benz C 320 CDI Sedan

Engine

Power transfer

Running gear

Dimensions and weights

Performance and fuel consumption

*acc. to VDA measuring method

Mercedes-Benz C 220 CDI Sedan Engine

Power transfer

Running gear

Dimensions and weights

Performance and fuel consumption

*acc. to VDA measuring method

Engine

Power transfer

Running gear

Dimensions and weights

Performance and fuel consumption

*acc. to VDA measuring method

Engine

Power transfer

Running gear

Dimensions and weights

Performance and fuel consumption

*acc. to VDA measuring method