Every car that has come from the Mercedes-Benz stable has a history and the C-Class is no different. It started life as the W201 or the 190E as it is popularly known. It is only with the following W202 that the C-Class got its name. India has seen a number of these models as private imports over the years, but the first C-Class to launch officially was the W203 in 2001. Since then, the car has sold over 37,000 units in India and is still going strong. And now here comes the sixth gen 2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class. And it is said to be nothing short of a baby S-Class. That statement itself made me excited to get up close and personal with it. The beautiful hill station of Mussoorie made for the perfect backdrop to test the new Star. So here goes.

But first… How it started:

…and how its going:

2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Exterior

The new C-Class carries the current Mercedes-Benz design language. And it has grown in size. It measure 4751mm in length (65mm longer), 1820mm wide (+10mm) and has a wheelbase of 2865mm (25mm more). Ground clearance has also increased by 7mm. Look the new C and you will know why the focus here is on the ‘Baby S’ tag. It so looks the part and more so from the rear. I was checking it out as it was driving in front of me and you can’t tell the difference.

The new C-Class will be offered in three variants: C200 and C220d in Avantegarde trim and the C300d in AMG Line. What you see here in the pictures is the C200. The front grille gets a thick horizontal slat with a large Mercedes logo flanked by LED headlamps. The power domes on the bonnet give the C a very sporty stance. While the C200 gets 17 inch alloys, the C300d comes with 18 inch AMG wheels. While I loved the rims on the C300d, the 17 inch ones could have had a better design. Look at the new C from the side and again, the S-Class resemblance is there for you to see. Just stretch the car and you will have an S. The rear is very understated and features split tail lamps. There is only a single C200 badge on the boot and overall its very clean to look at. There is chrome trim on the rear bumper that is designed to look like fake exhausts. Check out the key fob and it is exactly identical to the S-Class as well. Nice..