New Mercedes C-Class review: better to drive than ever

Petrol-engined saloon gets an overdue facelift, but can it stand out from its new electric sibling? By the time a car reaches its mid-life facelift, you expect it to have settled comfortably into its role. The fifth-generation Mercedes-Benz C-Class hasn’t really had that luxury. A good five years after it went on sale, this ICE model now finds itself sharing showroom space with an electric model of the same name based on a completely different platform, wearing more modern styling, offering more contemporary drivetrain technology and answering a totally different set of questions.That doesn’t mean Mercedes is ringing big changes for its traditional saloon and estate, though. Instead, it’s another careful sharpening for the Audi A5 and BMW 3 Series rival – and, on the evidence of this first drive, that decision looks sound. It’s an update aimed at taking the existing C-Class and making it feel relevant again, rather than reinventing it.