Fashion trends set by C-Class

A fleet of 10 Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedans are being used to transport VIPs to and from New Zealand Fashion Week in Auckland. The marque is the major sponsor of this week’s event at which Kiwi designers showcase their work to the world. Display models of the C-Class are on show alongside models decked out in the latest threads. The sponsorship marks the launch of five new models over the coming months – the C200 petrol and BlueTec diesel, C250 petrol and diesel, and the C300 diesel hybrid. The C200 is $71,900, with the BlueTec diesel at $73,400. The C250 petrol has an $86,900 price-tag with the diesel version costing $1,500 more. The C300 will cost $94,900. Next year a range of wagons will also be launched. Mercedes-Benz expects the C200 petrol to account for 40-50 per cent of its Kiwi sales and is looking for the C-Class to sell about 50 units a month with its outgoing model notching up 25-30 monthly registrations. A reversing camera is standard and will brake automatically in an emergency. The car also features a choice of interior lighting colours. In the C200, performance is almost a match for the outgoing C250 yet its claimed fuel economy is 6.0l/100km. The rear-wheel-drive features a seven-speed gearbox. The vehicle has ANCAP five stars with a fatigue reminder setting it up for the maximum score.