Mercedes adds C-Class Estate, C63 AMG to range

The new Mercedes C-Class Saloons were launched in the UK in June this year but right hand drive customers in the UK will have to wait until Spring 2008 for the C-Class Estates to arrive. However order books are already open.

By and large the new C-Class Saloon, on which the Estates are based, have been widely praised for their much improved quality, style, agility, performance, cleaner and more powerful efficient engines and most of all increased interior space, especially for rear seat passengers.

The new Estates are likely to reap further praise for their load capacity, 485 to 1,500 litres, which Mercedes claims is the largest in its sector.

The good news for UK customers was that the new Saloons were introduced at more or less the same prices as the models they replaced and the Estates are likely to follow that pricing pattern.

The like-for-like pricing of the C-Class Saloon has resulted in increased sales across Europe and in the UK in the very competitive premium compact sector of the market, where the BMW 3-Series and Audi A4 ranges are the main challengers to Mercedes models.

Spring 2008 will also see the introduction of the high performance C63 AMG Saloon and Estate models in the UK at prices estimated to be in the region of £51,000 and £52,000. They will go on sale in left-hand drive markets early next year.

Although supplies of the new models are not imminent to European or UK customers Mercedes-Benz have just introduced them to the international motoring media because they are eager to attract advance orders, especially in the fleet and business car sectors

The competitor BMW 3-Series and M3 models are already in place and the new Audi A4 range opened for orders from last month, although deliveries of the saloons will not start until February and Avant estates will follow in the summer.

Mercedes-Benz are keen to lay down a marker with prospective customers that their C-class Estate and AMG models are available for order. The C-Class Sports Coupe will follow later next year.

Revised model line-up

As with the Saloons the new C-Class Estate range in the UK has a revised model line-up structure in SE, Elegance and Sport specifications. In Europe these models will be known as Classic, Elegance and Avantgarde.

The change of names for the UK says Mercedes better reflects the two new styling faces available with the new C-Class range for British fleet, business user-chooser and retail customers.

The C-Class Estate SE, the entry model, and Elegance, the luxury and comfort models, feature a wide and louvered front grille with the traditional and classic Mercedes three-pointed star mounted on the bonnet. The Sport and AMG models have a three pointed star mounted prominently in the centre of the grille.

New C-Class estate pricing

Dermot Kelly, managing director of Mercedes Car Group in the UK said “No prices for next year’s C-Class Estate models have been finalised but I expect them to be more or less budget neutral with Estate models carrying just under a £1,000 price premium over their respective C-Class Saloon models.” C-Class Saloon prices range from £22,937 up to £35,577.

Prices of the new C63 AMG Saloon and Estate are less clear at this stage but prices starting in the region of £51,000 are likely.

Sales numbers

Mercedes-Benz is also loath to talk about future sales figures and will only talk about past sales numbers, which we have to assume they intend to beat. Last year just over 24,000 C-Class models of all types were sold in the UK, 14,500 being Saloons, nearly 3,000 Estates and over 6,800 Sports Coupes.

Overall nearly 70 per cent of C-Class sales have in the past been to fleet and corporate sector customers but estate models are more popular with retail customers said Dermot Kelly.

He added, “In the UK over the last two quarters we have seen a rise in demand for E-Class Estate models over Saloons so there appears to be a trend towards estates which could be reflected in future C-Class sales.”

Regarding the new C-Class AMG models Dermot Kelly said, “Sales in the past have been limited, between 250 and 275 a year, but there appears to be added interest from customers for the new C63 models and our expectations are that up to 1,000 AMG versions, Saloons and Estates could be sold in the UK in a full year.”

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