DETROIT, Michigan - Mercedes has used the 2014 Detroit auto show to unveil a larger, much better-appointed, C-Class to further distinguish it after introducing the cheaper CLA in 2013 as its new entry-level car.
The model that made Mercedes the leading luxury automaker in the US was the starter Benz for years but the company has given it a makeover that raises its class and promises in the mid-range of the luxury market.
Mercedes' chairman Dieter Zetsche said the company had taken some of the high-level styling and functions of the pricier E- and S-Class cars and added them to the C-Class, including driver assistance systems, partly autonomous driving, and the Airmatic suspension technology.
'MUCH LIGHTER'
The car has lost 100kg helped by the use of lighter materials. Zetsche said: "We believe this star will rock the mid-sized segment." The C-Class has been Mercedes' most popular model in the US and around the world for several years and helped lock the company's lead over its rivals BMW, Audi and Cadillac in the US market.
Zetsche said at a launch in a swank Detroit hotel: "To be honest, that feels pretty damn good." He said the CLA has been "a breakthrough car" that enjoyed "overwhelming demand" and let the company migrate the C-Class up a notch in market segments.
"The huge excitement around the CLA is beneficial for the brand. It brings more dynamics, more coolness. A typical S-Class customer certainly appreciates a younger more dynamic brand rather than an old-fashioned brand.
The model that made Mercedes the leading luxury automaker in the US was the starter Benz for years but the company has given it a makeover that raises its class and promises in the mid-range of the luxury market.
Mercedes' chairman Dieter Zetsche said the company had taken some of the high-level styling and functions of the pricier E- and S-Class cars and added them to the C-Class, including driver assistance systems, partly autonomous driving, and the Airmatic suspension technology.
'MUCH LIGHTER'
The car has lost 100kg helped by the use of lighter materials. Zetsche said: "We believe this star will rock the mid-sized segment." The C-Class has been Mercedes' most popular model in the US and around the world for several years and helped lock the company's lead over its rivals BMW, Audi and Cadillac in the US market.
Zetsche said at a launch in a swank Detroit hotel: "To be honest, that feels pretty damn good." He said the CLA has been "a breakthrough car" that enjoyed "overwhelming demand" and let the company migrate the C-Class up a notch in market segments.
"The huge excitement around the CLA is beneficial for the brand. It brings more dynamics, more coolness. A typical S-Class customer certainly appreciates a younger more dynamic brand rather than an old-fashioned brand.