Ambassador for a new Mercedes design idiom

A look back at 25 years of the C-Class also reveals parallels between the two Saloons in styling terms. Both represent something new for their time, and both have set design trends. Just as the trapezoid, “cut diamond” design of the Mercedes-Benz 190 paved the way for a future Mercedes design idiom in its time, the new C-Class is also an ambassador for a new design style. The emphasis here is on purity of form, with the designers following the rules of modern purism and reinterpreting them in a modern context. Owing to an interplay between tightly drawn lines and large, tranquil surfaces, the design expresses unruffled calm and power, and symbolises the technical superiority of cars bearing the Mercedes star.

Mercedes-Benz first realised this new design idiom in the S-Class in 2005. The
C-Class is yet another representative of these design lines, and therefore follows in the footsteps of the luxury models in the S and CL-Class – not as a copy, but as an individual and autonomous interpretation.

25 years ago, the Model 190 also marked a new styling departure with a redesign of the tradition-laden Mercedes radiator grille, which was no longer mounted but rather flush-fitted into the front end. In the new C-Class the radiator grille is likewise an important design feature with a high symbolic effect. This is because for the first time in a Saloon, Mercedes-Benz has used the radiator grille to position certain attributes even more unmistakably. With their three-dimensionally contoured radiator grille, the CLASSIC and ELEGANCE lines intentionally echo certain striking features of the S-Class to symbolise attributes such as solidity, power and luxury. In the AVANTGARDE line, the designers have opted for a visually even more striking radiator grille with wide louvres and a large, centrally located Mercedes star. This typical feature of the sporty Mercedes models underlines the dynamic, agile character of this model.

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