The latest, electric Mercedes-Benz C-Class has made its official debut, and it will go head-to-head with its direct, traditional rival that emerged last month, the 2026 BMW i3.
The debut variant is the C400 4Matic electric, a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive variant with 360 kW (489 PS) and 800 Nm propelling the electric sedan from 0-100 km/h in four seconds flat and a top speed of 210 km/h. The rear drive motor incorporates a two-speed transmission, while the front drive motor uses a single gear ratio.
This has a battery range of up to 762 km on the WLTP standard from a full charge of its new, lithium-ion 94 kWh battery, and a 10-80% recharge is attained in 22 minutes. For AC charging, 11 kW is standard, or up to an optional 22 kW.
Further variants with rear- and all-wheel-drive, which means single- and dual-motor powertrains, will emerge next year, and the RWD variant with the longest range is estimated to be capable of up to around 800 km. Efficiency on dual-motor AWD models are aided by front drive motors which disconnect under low load, reducing losses by up to 90%, according to Mercedes-Benz.
Being the second model to be built on the MB.EA platform after the GLC EV, its 800-volt electrical architecture enables charging with compatible stations at up to 330 kW DC, and an optional DC converter enables the use of 400-volt stations. At peak charging, the W520-generation C-Class can regain up to 325 km of range in just 10 minutes.
Measuring 4,883 mm long, 1,892 mm wide and 1,503 mm tall with a wheelbase of 2,962 mm, the W520-generation C-Class EV is 132 mm longer, 72 mm wider, 65 mm taller and 97 mm longer of wheelbase compared to the W206-generation C-Class.
The parallels with the GLC EV continue, as the C-Class EV’s use of the dedicated EV platform liberate more cabin space in the electric sedan. This is to the benefit of the front seat occupants, which will now have 12 mm additional legroom, while headroom is also improved by 22 mm in front and 11 mm in the rear.
The face of the C-Class EV takes after the fascia of the GLC EV, and which Mercedes-Benz group chief design officer Bastian Baudy says is “reinventing classic elegance for the electric age”. As on its SUV sibling, this reinterprets the classic grille with a thick chrome surround, and illumination can be optionally specified. LED headlamps are standard equipment on the C-Class EV, with Digital Light LED headlamps optional.
At the rear, the sloping fastback rear of the C-Class EV’s roofline makes for less of a traditional three-box sedan outline, and the rear end gets a quartet of star-design tail lamps in circular arcs, derived from those seen on the GLC EV. Aerodynamic efficiency is key to an EV’s range, and to that end the C-Class EV has a drag coefficient of 0.22; wheel sizes for the sedan range from 18 to 20 inches in diameter.
Wheel track widths of the C-Class EV are 1,641 mm in front and 1,620 mm at the rear, while kerb weight in debut guise as the C400 4Matic is 2,460 kg. Luggage compartment capacity in the C-Class EV is 470 litres, while the frunk holds a further 101 litres.
The W520-generation C-Class EV is claimed to be the sportiest C-Class yet, enabling up to 4.5 degrees of rear-axle steering to aid agility at low speeds. Meanwhile, this works to steer the rear wheels up to 2.5 degrees in the same direction as the front wheels at speed of 70 km/h and above, to improve stability at high speeds.
Like on the GLC EV, the C-Class EV employs a four-link for its front suspension and a multi-link configuration for its rear suspension, Airmatic air suspension features here with the ability to lower the vehicle in Sport mode, and its intelligent suspension control uses Google Maps to keep the vehicle riding as low as possible for as long as possible. Damping in the C-Class EV also adjusts according to available Car-to-X information.
Energy recuperation in the C-Class EV is by the One-Box braking system that featured in the GLC EV, and in the electric sedan, this, too, recuperates up to 300 kW. Almost all braking processes are carried out entirely by energy recuperation, even during ABS-activated braking or on icy roads.
Inside, the C-Class EV borrows heavily from the GLC EV, including the top specification 39.1-inch seamless MBUX Hyperscreen that spans nearly the width of the dashboard, bookended by the circular air-conditioning vents.
The Hyperscreen employs matrix backlighting technology as featured in the GLC EV, and uses over 1,000 individual LEDs for individually adjustable brightness zones. The more modest display ensemble is the MBUX Superscreen, which is comprised of three screens under a single glass surface.
Similarly, both screen specifications get the Unity Game Engine high-performance chips and real-time graphics, with front passenger screens that feature a camera-based blocking function to minimise driver distraction while the front passenger retains full functionality.
Its operating system is the fourth-generation MBUX, the first to combine artificial intelligence from ChatGTP4o, Microsoft Bing and Google Gemini, and the more developed MBUX Virtual Assistant is claimed to be able to conduct complex, multi-part conversations and has a short-term memory.
Mercedes-Benz claims a segment-first with its augmented reality head-up display in the C-Class EV, brought from the S-Class and EQS. This provides a diagonal span of 18 inches, where a virtual colour image appears in the driver’s field of view at a perceived distance of around three metres.
A new high-end seat specification features for the front occupants in the C-Class EV, which brings 4D sound in addition to seat ventilation and massage functions. As in the GLC EV, the 4D sound in the C-Class EV is delivered by a pair of transducers in each seat back of the high-end specification front seat, in addition to speakers close to the occupants’ ears.
Upholstery for the C-Class EV can be specified in a range of materials including the “Softtorino” leather grain as standard, while a “Twisted Diamond” specification brings diamond-shaped perforation with contrast stitching, and is available exclusively with sports seats in Nappa leather in tagua brown. AMG Line leather seats get moccasin stitching on the side bolsters.
The C-Class EV is now the second vehicle to have a vegan interior certified by The Vegan Society, after the GLC EV. Here, the Vegan Package covers all soft-touch surface material including the seat upholstery, headliner, pillars, door panels and carpeting.
For safety and driving assistance systems, the C-Class EV packs up to 27 cameras and sensors, as well as a water-cooled, high-performance control unit “with sufficient power reserves for future functions”.
Assistance systems packages include MB.Drive that assists with steering, lane keeping, distance control, braking and acceleration as well as parking and manoeuvring, MB.Drive Assist that adds a lane-change assistant, and MB.Drive Assist Pro that brings a higher level of assisted driving.
New to the C-Class is the Pre-Safe Curve function. When navigation is activated, the system warns the driver by tightening the seat belt if the vehicle speed appears to be significantly too fast for the approaching curve. For passive safety, the C-Class EV packs up to 11 airbags in total, including the front centre airbag that is standard for this generation worldwide, and the front passenger now gets a knee airbag.
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