C-Class now 'speaks' Putonghua

The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is the German marque's largest-selling car. Codenamed W 201 at its 1982 launch, the car has evolved from a boxy 'Baby Benz' to a sophisticated and stylish inner-city drive.

The C-Class used to be dismissed in snobbier parts of Hong Kong as a cut-price Benz, but has always lived up to the marque's promise of providing 'top Mercedes technology in compact form'.

The roomier second versions (W 202) in 1993 were the first passenger cars to have four-valve diesel engines and the third generation (W 203) in 2000 ushered in a sports coupe (CL 203) then an estate version a year later. The fourth C-Class (W 204) emphasised the divide between the range's plush and traditional-looking Elegance variants and the more sporty Avantgarde, which flaunted a giant Mercedes-Benz star on a new grille.

The latest C-Classes have been built with 'over 2,000 new components' and look so swish you might question the wisdom of spending more and first registration tax for a larger luxury car.

Unveiled at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, the facelifts have a more 'self-assured' look, Mercedes-Benz says, citing a 'more expressive' front bumper and 'dynamic contours'. The headlights have a new shape, taillights have been redesigned and the aerodynamics have been sleeked to 0.26Cd.

The interior has been revamped with a restyled dashboard, steering-wheel design and more detail on controls.