2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sedan – This is Likely it

Are these photos of the 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class saloon for real? It certainly looks like it, with the Spanish site that circulated them, Diariomotor, stating that it found them laying around on Benz's official website.

We already know what the next C-Class looks from the inside since Mercedes itself showed the car's inner works, so we'll keep this post about the car's exterior appearance that has more character, if you will, than the outgoing model, with styling references from both the bigger S-Class and the smaller CLA.

Too bad we don't get a taste of the car's rear end, but in one of the pictures it seems that we're seeing the AMG sports package (not to be confused with the C63 AMG).

We'll poke around and update this post if we find anything new.

Thanks to Daniel from Diariomotor for the heads up!

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Mercedes Tells the Inside Story of New 2015 C-Class, Says it's 100kg or 221lbs Lighter

After an unceremonious release of the interior shots of the brand-new 2015 C-Class sedan on Monday, Mercedes-Benz discharged the official (high-resolution) photos together with some initial details on the car, including its U.S. on-sale date of fall 2014 (European sales will likely begin earlier).

The interior design of the next C-Class is modern, building on the lines of the current model as well as the newer CLA compact saloon, with Mercedes leaving promises of "high-grade materials" and all the latest technology features such as a free-standing, tablet-style touchscreen display on the center console.

According to Benz, the standard 7-inch and the optional 8.4-inch screens work much like a smartphone with the use receiving "clear, haptic feedback when operating the touchpad control surface".

Other notable interior features mentioned are an available air condition system with automatic air recirculation with tunnel detection using satellite navigation, an S-Class-like AIR-BALANCE package with active fragrancing and ionization, and a new head-up display projecting information on speed, speed limits, navigation and messages from DISTRONIC PLUS as a virtual image directly into the driver's field of vision.

Mercedes also tells us about its efforts to reduce the new C-Class' weight while at the same time, increasing rigidity, and reducing noise and vibration characteristics. The C-Class sports an aluminum hybrid body, which Benz says it makes it the "lightweight construction trailblazer" in its segment. The body and the bodyshell are around 70 kg (154 lbs) lighter than conventional production using steel, with the entire vehicle being around 100 kilograms (221 lbs) lighter than its predecessor.

Moving on to the chassis, we're told that the 2015 C-Class gains a newly designed 4-link front axle for the suspension, which is made from steel, while alternatively and for the first time, Mercedes will offer an optional air suspension (AIRMATIC) on the front and rear axles allowing the driver to choose between  Comfort, ECO, Sport and Sport Plus modes.

Finally, Mercedes confirmed that all of the available passive and active safety technology from the S-Class and E-Class will be available on the all-new 2015 C-Class, including a new front passenger airbag that can detect every child seat installed.

For the first time in the model's history, the new C-Class will be built in the United States at the brand's Tuscaloosa, Alabama plant as well other locations including Germany.

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New 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Interior Uncovered in Official Shots

It seems like tis the day of interior photos of upcoming Mercedes-Benz models. Along with images of the new V-Class passenger van, we also have shots of the inner workings of the next C-Class sedan, and more or less, any other C-Class body style that's expected to be added to the range in the coming years such as the Coupe, Estate and Convertible, since they will be the same.

Overall, the styling and detailing of the dashboard is very similar to that of the smaller CLA, from the placement of the five circular air-vent fixtures to the steering wheel and the instrument cluster, though, the C-Class does get a more premium and trendy center console layout, while we suspect that quality of materials will also be better.

One highlight that caught our eye is the large tablet-like touchpad above the center air vents, which according to an Autozeitung magazine report, will be offered in two sizes, 7.0 and 8.4 inches.

Over the weekend, Mercedes also released a teaser video of the new C-Class, so it shouldn't be long before we hear more official news on the car.

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