Mercedes-Benz has refreshed the C-Class and immediately given it a price that could make the launch awkward. In Spain, the sedan now starts at €52,025, while the Estate begins at €53,625. These are no longer provisional figures: Mercedes labels both versions as new and has opened the configurator.
The entry ticket is the 163 hp C 200 d diesel. Above it sit the 218 hp petrol C 250, the 200 hp C 250 d diesel and its all-wheel-drive version. All of these engines use a 48-volt starter-generator rated at 17 kW and are paired with the nine-speed 9G-Tronic automatic. The efficiency figures look convincing too: the C 200 d is officially rated at 4.5 l/100 km, while the petrol C 250 comes in at 6.2 l/100 km.
But the higher you climb through the price list, the more interesting things become. According to the Spanish price list, the C 250 costs €53,900, the C 250 d is €55,575 and the C 250 d 4MATIC is €58,000. The plug-in C 300 e is priced at €64,250, while the C 400 e 4MATIC reaches €70,850. For the Estate, the range stretches from €53,625 to €72,425.
The plug-in hybrids are far more than a token offering. The C 300 e produces a combined 326 hp, while the C 400 e 4MATIC delivers 394 hp. Usable battery capacity is 19.53 kWh and DC fast charging at up to 55 kW is supported. Mercedes' Spanish technical table lists an EAER electric range of up to 109 km for both versions.
And this is where the real pricing paradox begins. The fully electric C-Class is already listed in the Spanish configurator from €69,800. That means the plug-in C 400 e 4MATIC at €70,850 is €1,050 more expensive than the EV. Not long ago, that hierarchy would have looked rather strange.
Mercedes also faces an uncomfortable comparison outside its own range. BMW currently offers the diesel 318d Sedan in Spain from €50,200, while the Audi A5 starts at €48,900. So the entry-level C 200 d is €1,825 more expensive than the nearest BMW and €3,125 above the cheapest A5. These are starting prices from official configurators before individual dealer discounts, and the way transport and other charges are included can vary by brand.
The facelift itself goes much deeper than a bumper swap. The petrol C-Class gets the 2.0-litre M 254 EVO with an electrically assisted compressor, Mercedes has substantially updated the electronics, and the powertrains have been prepared for future emissions requirements. The second-generation 48-volt starter-generator produces up to 17 kW and has become one of the key elements of the model's modernization.
So what does that leave buyers with? In Spain, the C-Class now offers three very different paths at surprisingly close prices: an efficient diesel from €52,025, a PHEV from €64,250 and a full EV from €69,800. At the top of the range, price no longer decides the powertrain choice at all: the electric C-Class is formally cheaper than the most powerful plug-in hybrid. Mercedes has created a fascinating rival inside its own showroom.
