IOL Motoring Staff
Stuttgart, Germany - Mercedes-Benz has pulled the covers off the Estate version of its latest C-Class. Naturally, this wagon packs all the goodness you find in the sedan, but with a load area big enough for Lassie.
Compared to its predecessor, the new Estate offers an extra 10 litres of loading space, amounting to 1510 litres with the back seats folded and 490 litres in its usual guise.
It also offers more convenience and versatility - the rear seats can now be folded at the touch of a button, if specified, and they now have a 40:20:40 split. Order the Easy Pack and life gets even simpler thanks to an electrically operated tailgate that you can open and close by waving your foot near the rear bumper.
CONNECT FROM AFAR
The Estate marks the world introduction of the Mercedes 'Connect Me' services, which offer a variety of functions including the ability to connect to the vehicle from anywhere and find out how much fuel it still has, for instance.
Like its sedan counterpart that's due in SA soon, the Estate offers a multitude of cabin and safety gadgets, including touchpad functionality, head-up display, Distronic Plus with Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot, Brake Assist Plus with Cross-Traffic Assist and Active Parking Assist.
For those seeking a truly cushy ride, this wagon can be ordered with air suspension and there's a wide range of turbocharged engines to choose from in Europe - with outputs ranging from 85kW to 150kW (diesel) and 115kW to 245kW (petrol).
According to our contact at Mercedes-Benz SA, the Estate will be launched locally during the first quarter of 2015 in 115kW C180 and 135kW C200 petrol and 150kW C250 BlueTec diesel guises. Unlike the sedan, which has just commenced production in South Africa, the Estate will be sourced from Germany.