Wednesday 11th May 2005

Merc preps BMW-beater

Next-gen C-class set to whip 3-Series?

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Mercedes C-class 2004

Mercedes is fighting back, following an annus horribilis. It's suffered losses at Smart, has plummeted down the JD Power quality survey, and had recently to make a recall of 1.3 million cars.

According to Autocar, the next C-class -- which competes with the dominant BMW 3-Series -- will look sharper, and offer better quality and higher production tolerances. It won't get Merc's Active Body Control or AirMatic suspension, both being too expensive, but it will get a direct injection, four-cylinder M271 engine. This will deliver higher output and lower fuel consumption from a 1.8-litre capacity, which will be offered in 150bhp, 170bhp and 190bhp turbocharged guises.

Higher up the range, the M272 V6 engine delivers 204bhp from 2.5-litres, and 231bhp and 272bhp from the 3.5-litre lumps. The AMG edition will top the range, boasting the current 5.4-litre V8 with power raised to 410bhp from today's 367bhp. There will also be arrange of diesels delivering up to 467lb-ft of torque from a turbocharged 3.0-litre engine.

Better quality materials inside and a long list of toys -- including a BMW iDrive equivalent -- are designed to entice buyers back to the three-pointed star.

Expect to see the car on sale in the UK in two years' time.

• Autocar

[festernath]

Maybe they could supercharge the 55 engine...

[R988]

nah the supercharged version was using too much fuel apparently, as if anyone who buys an AMG supercharged V8 would care about fuel consumption... they probably fit the twin turbo V12 in next, maybe they should spend more time on making it a decent drive and a decent manual box, and do they really think a copy of the almost universally hated i-Drive is what they need?

Hopefully it will look ok unlike every other german car makers whose designers are either taking too many or little drugs.