2012 Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz is ready to give the compact C-Class sedan a timely makeover for the 2012 model year. Set to make its debut at next month's Detroit Auto Show, the new C-Class boasts a gently revised exterior along with two new direct-injection engines.

According to Mercedes, the 2012 C-Class sedan wears a "more distinctive" design front and rear. The more sculpted headlights of the new model are definitely nice, although for the most part the changes in front and back are noticeable only if you have a 2011 C-Class handy for a comparison. Like a navy blue Brooks Brothers suit, the C-Class sedan's new look is conservative, but it should please traditionalists in the luxury car market.



Inside, you'll find a new dashboard that includes a high-resolution color display in the instrument cluster. Cabin trim, and the finish of the materials, should receive a slight boost to keep up with the competition -- although Mercedes' cabins are hardly lacking when it comes to luxury.

To make certain each drive is a safe one, Mercedes includes five new safety features in the 2012 C-Class. These include Attention Assist drowsiness detection system (fitted as standard), along with optional Adaptive Highbeam Assist, Park Assist w/Parktronic, Lane Keeping Assist and Blind Spot Assist.

A new model is also set to enter the C-Class lineup, with the C250 positioned as the new entry-level model. Powered by a direct-injected 201-hp twin-turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the C250 will likely be available with either a 6-speed manual or 7-speed automatic transmission. Mercedes promises that the new C-Class will be more fuel efficient than before, but official EPA mpg figures have not been released. At the moment, the 2011 C-Class sedan with the standard 3.0-liter V-6 averages 18 mpg city/26 mpg highway. The C250 should improve significantly on these figures.



The C300 with Mercedes 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system carries on with a 228-bhp 3.0-liter V-6 engine. However, the C350 also features a new direct-injection engine, a V-6 delivering 302 hp and 273 ft-lbs of torque. These range-topping models are likely to be only available with the 7-speed automatic transmission.

Prices for the current C-Class lineup range from approximately $34,000 to $40,000 (sans options). The 2012 C-Class, especially the new C250, could lower the entry-level price slightly, although Mercedes-Benz has not released prices. The 2012 C-Class sedan goes on sale in the summer of 2011.

2012 Ford C-Max

Ford product chief Derrick Kuzak calls it a "white-space vehicle exploring the crossover between car and minivan." We call it Europe's Grand C-Max with a shorter name. (Ford sells both a C-Max and a Grand C-Max in Europe, but the Continent's C-Max is smaller and only has two rows of seats.) No matter which descriptor you prefer, the people-moving C-Max is on its way here for 2012.

2012 Ford C-Max

We have already driven the three-row Grand C-Max in Europe and liked what we experienced -- basically a mini-minivan with some clever packaging -- but the cars we drove didn't have the American powertrains installed, perhaps because details of the U.S. engine lineup had not yet been ironed out.

Two Fours and 5+2

Now we know that the base engine is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder making 168 hp and 167 lb-ft of torque. The optional engine is a 1.6-liter EcoBoost (that means it's turbocharged and direct-injected, for those who haven't received the message) four that puts out the same horsepower as the 2.5 on regular gas, but cranks it up to 180 hp on premium; torque using either fuel is 173 ft-lbs. Ford promises better fuel economy for the more expensive and sometimes-more-powerful EcoBoost four, thereby justifying its higher cost. (A similar scheme is planned for the all-new Explorer.) No matter which powerplant is fitted, a six-speed automatic transmission is the only choice.

The interior has the same "5+2" seating as Europe's Grand C-Max. The second row's middle seat can be folded and stowed inside the seat to its right, creating an aisle for easy access to two small seats in the third row. Buyers will be able to choose a third-row-delete option for 5+0 seating. Sync and MyFord Touch will be available, as will a rearview camera, active park assist, and Curve Control, an evolution of stability control first seen on the new Explorer.

Look, Moms, No Hands!

The Americanized C-Max has one unique party trick: a hands-free liftgate release. Like the hop-on-one-leg trunk popper on the latest European VW Passat, the C-Max's system uses sensors mounted on the rear bumper that detect when your leg and foot (or anything, really) are waved past, and pops the hatch. The proximity key has to be nearby, so don't expect free access to C-Max cargo holds or fear for the safety of your groceries when a pack of feral dogs rampages through your neighborhood. The idea is that, when your hands are full of packages/kids/laziness, a leg wave is easier than fumbling for your keys. We wouldn't be surprised if makers of full-size minivans adopt this technology soon.

Ford says the C-Max is designed for "growing, busy North American families।" The same phrase describes Ford's C-segment platform: The company promises 10 new vehicles based on this architecture -- which is shared with the new Focus -- by 2012. The U.S.-spec C-Max will be shown first at January's 2011 Detroit Auto Show, with the car going on sale in early 2012.

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