MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS - QUIETLY CONFIDENT WITH UPDATES THAT KEEP IT FRESH

10TH JANUARY 2019

Top cars for 2019: New mild hybrid petrol option offers alternative to diesel.

Updated in 2018 to keep it feeling fresh in the face of a new 3 Series, the C-Class can be summed up with one word - satisfying. Its styling is quietly confident, not too outré, but stylish enough to cut a dash.

The cabin is, perhaps, a little less avant-garde than those of some rivals, but the new optional digital instrument panel works well (even if it‘s less striking than the digital plank effect in the E-Class and A-Class) and the infotainment system remains rational and relatively easy to use. Comfort is high on the agenda, and the C-Class glides over undulations that would vex others.

New mild-hybrid petrol could be an interesting diesel alternative, but the good-old diesels are still solid performers. Handsome estate is the best one, but we really secretly (not secretly) want the savage 510hp V8 C63 AMG.

Best model: C220d Avantgarde Auto for €44,770

Price range: €37,710 to €124,515. Finance from €413 per month.

Co2 emissions: 148 to 164g/km

Sum up: Small changes, big result.