Revealed – Mercedes C-Class estate prices

The new Mercedes C-Class will be priced from £28,055 when it goes on sale in September. The car can be had with a choice of three engines and three trim levels.

The entry-level model is the 181bhp C200 petrol, which emits 128g/km CO2, returns 51.4mpg, and represents a £1,200 premium over the saloon. The car can be had with a six-speed manual gearbox or a seven-speed automatic.

Buyers can choose between two diesels – the basic 220 BlueTEC starts from £30,565, emits 108g/km of CO2, is capable of 65.7mpg, and produces 168bhp. For £33,220, the 201bhp 250 BlueTEC is the most powerful model for now. It emits 117 g/km of CO2 and is capable of economy of up to 62.8mpg. The extremely frugal C200 BlueTEC diesel and the range-topping C300 BlueTEC HYBRID will join the line-up later in the year.

Trim levels are SE, Sport and AMG Line. Four options packs are also available including the Executive Package (£995 and available on the SE) that brings a Garmin Map Pilot navigation system, heated front seats and chrome (rather than black) roof rails. The Premium Package gets a panoramic glass sunroof, Keyless-Go, ambient lighting and electric memory seats. Going for the Premium Plus Package adds a powerful Burmester surround-sound stereo and Command Online, which allows users to access the internet. Those packages cost £1,595 and £2,795, respectively.

Other options include the Driving Assistance Package (£1,495 available on the Sport and AMG Line models), which incorporates a range of safety features including Blind Spot Assist and Lane-Keeping Assist. The AirMATIC Agility Package (£895), adds self-levelling suspension that can be raised by 25mm, as well as being adjusted for comfort. Meanwhile, the Air-Balance package (around £350) releases a fragrance into the interior of the car.

The Mercedes C-Class estate maintains the standard set by the C-Class saloon that launched earlier this year with a class-leading luxury interior. The estate injects a dose of practicality to the mix, thanks to its 490-litre boot and standard features including a power-operated boot lid, roof rails, and split-folding rear seats. Fold the back seats down and boot capacity rises to 1,510 litres.

New Mercedes C-Class estate practicality

Dimensions for the new estate have grown across the board and the new car gets a wheelbase (the space between the front and rear wheels) that is 80mm longer than the old model. The car is also 96mm longer and 40mm wider. The difference will be most noticeable for rear-seat passengers who now get 45mm extra legroom. Boot space is also up, although only marginally, to 490 litres with the rear seats up and 1,510 litres with the seats down – 10 litres more than you get in a BMW 3 Series Touring.

For greater interior flexibility, the backseats now split 40:20:20 (rather than 60:40) and they fold flat electronically at the touch of a button. Useful options include an electrically operated bootlid, which works by sweeping your foot under the rear bumper, and air suspension that keeps the car level no matter the weight of the load in the back.

New Mercedes C-Class estate interior

Just as in the saloon, the new Mercedes C-Class Estate gets a new more luxurious interior with plenty of leather, metal and wood on show. Models also get a touchpad controlled infotainment system and HUD (head up display) that projects vital information, such as the car’s speed and sat-nav directions, onto the windscreen.

The new car might be bigger, but extensive use of hi-tech materials mean it is also lighter and it weighs up to 65kg less than the old car. The new underpinnings combine with the company’s latest engines to make the estate on average 20 per cent more economical than the old model.

New Mercedes C-Class estate engines

From launch, the Mercedes will be available with diesel engines that range from 114bhp to 201bhp. Mercedes will also offer a diesel-electric hybrid that combines a 201bhp diesel engine, with a 27bhp electric motor. It should be capable of 74mpg and emissions of 99g/km for free road tax.

Petrol variants take the form of three four-cylinder engines, and a bigger, more powerful six-cylinder variant. Power ranges from 154bhp in the basic model to 329bhp in the top-spec six-cylinder car. A 277bhp petrol-electric hybrid will also be offered and we can expect a powerful Mercedes C63 AMG version to follow later, too.

Mercedes has given the new C-Class estate sophisticated suspension that should strike a good balance between fun handling and comfort. Buyers can pick between the standard set up, stiffer sports suspension, and the optional Airmatic air suspension.

Depending on the equipment level, drivers can also setup the C-Class using a selection of preset driving programmes including Comfort, ECO, Sport, Sport+, and individual, and the car can also be fitted with grippy four-wheel drive.

New Mercedes C-Class estate safety

The estate gets all the same safety features as the saloon, which has just been awarded a five-star rating from Euro NCAP. Its Intelligent Drive system brings features such as Attention Assist, which can warn the driver when they’re thought to be falling asleep at the wheel, and Collision Prevention Assist Plus. It can brake the car if it senses an imminent collision.

If you want to make your new C-Class even safer, Mercedes will happily oblige with optional systems such as Distronic Plus, which keeps the car a safe distance from the car in front and, when combined with Steering Assist, can gently steer the car in bends. Active Lane Keeping assist, meanwhile, warns you when the car is swaying out of lane and can apply the brakes to alternate sides of the car to steer it back on track.

Spec all the extras in the Mercedes C-Class and you’re left with very little to do. Active Parking Assist can select a space suitable for the car and park it for you, while Adaptive High Beam dips the headlights when it detects an oncoming car. The Mercedes Traffic Sign Assist will even highlight roadside signs on the dashboard, in case you miss them first time round.

In fact, there’s things afoot that you probably wont even realise are happening – drive into a tunnel and the Mercedes’ climate control will recirculate air to keep out fumes, while the stereo uses the car’s structure to resonate sound into the interior. Fit a child seat in the front and the car will automatically turn the air bag off, and all C-Class models are also internet capable, and the COMAND Online option effectively converts the car into a mobile WiFi hotspot.

New Mercedes C-Class price and release date

What’s apparent is the Mercedes needs to be this clever if it is to steal sales from rivals such as the BMW 3 Series Touring and Audi A4 Avant, when it goes on sale in September. Prices will be announced nearer the time, but expect it to command a premium of around £1,200 over the saloon model, which starts from £26,855 for the basic Mercedes C200 SE petrol model.

For all the latest reviews of the Mercedes range, including a road test of the new C-Class saloon, visit the Carbuyer Mercedes reviews page.