Auto Special: Mercedes C-Class Estate: Style meets practicality

Klaus Maier might be the luckiest regional president in Mercedes-Benz group as he continued to report remarkable sales numbers every month for the past year and a half.

Such brisk sales have proven Maier's multi-product strategy to provide an extended lineup to Chinese customers.

Last Friday, the German luxury vehicle maker celebrated the launch of the C-Class Estate in China. Available in two models - the C 200 CGI and C 300 - the models are priced from 430,000 yuan to 548,000 yuan.

"The arrival of the C-Class Estate means that Mercedes-Benz is the first automaker to introduce a luxury station wagon in China, which not only demonstrates our long-term commitment to the market, but also our 'Ambition to lead'," said Maier, president & CEO of Mercedes-Benz (China) Ltd.

When Mercedes debuted the C-Class Estate in China at the Beijing auto show in April and began to take pre-delivery orders, the wagon was an instant hit with customers.

"The remarkable market response provided us with great confidence that this new model will further contribute to Mercedes-Benz's overall success," said Bjoern Hauber, vice-president of Sales & Marketing for Mercedes-Benz (China) Ltd.

Hauber said that in the first five months of 2009, Mercedes-Benz delivered 46,100 vehicles to Chinese consumers and registered 118 percent sales growth in May, making it fastest-growing luxury automobile brand during the period.

The C-Class Estate is designed to appeal to the elite and families that want a stylish car integrating the comfort of a luxury sedan with the spaciousness of an SUV.

The wagon combines impressive spaciousness with cutting-edge design, driving dynamics, extreme safety and multifunctional practicality.

The C 200 CGI is also a member of Mercedes-Benz's BlueEFFICIENCY family in tune with the automaker's commitment to eco-friendly luxury, said Maier.

As more newly rich Chinese enjoy a leisure lifestyle, Mercedes-Benz has introduced more vehicles that combine practicality, luxury and outstanding safety.

The German icon brought its tourers R-Class and B-Class to the Chinese market. The B-Class, which combines stylish design and practicality, registered three-fold growth in May over the same month of 2009, while the R-Class had double-digit sales growth, making China the largest market for the R-Class.

Spaciousness

As a trendy vehicle suited for everyday use as well as leisure travel, the C-Class Estate has foldable back seats that can make room for up to 1,500 liters of storage space, enough for four golf bags.

The model is also equipped with an aluminum roof rack as standard, allowing customers to carry large items such as bicycles on their long-distance travels.

Fully aware of the importance of maintaining both practicability and style, designers of the C-Class Estate gave the front section a sporty essence, which along with translucent headlight eyelids and arrow-shaped turning lights, combine to make a strong visual impact.

Its roof has an oblique line that gathers with the powerful side line at the tail to create a dynamic body shape. A panoramic sunroof is also standard on the C 300.

As part of Mercedes-Benz's attention to the increasing desire for individualism among its customers, the C-Class Estate offers an optional AMG sports package that provides an array of high-performance features to enhance its driving dynamics.

The C-Class Estate also carries a powerful V6 engine with a maximum output of 170kW coupled with a 7G-Tronic transmission.

The C 200 CGI equipped with an all-aluminum 1.8 liter inline four-cylinder turbo-charged direct injection engine can reach a maximum output of 135 kW and a torque of 270 Nm, giving it outstanding fuel efficiency without compromising power.

The C-Class Estate is also equipped with the luxury carmaker's Agility Control suspension as standard, which further enhances driving comfort and enjoyment.

Its signature safety technologies include the PRE-SAFE occupant protection system, the ESP electrical stability program and BAS brake assist system.

The model also includes NECK-PRO crash-responsive head restraints and eight airbags.

(China Daily 06/22/2010 page13)