Mercedes C-Class Electric driven: new tech, still a proper Merc

Mercedes-Benz has taken one of its most important models fully electric, releasing an EV version of the C-Class saloon that is designed to feel every bit as refined and composed as the petrol and diesel cars that made it a benchmark in the compact executive segment.

According to multiple reports, Mercedes chief executive Ola Källenius has described the car as intended to "hit the centre of the Mercedes fan base" -- a signal that the brand is not treating this as a niche offering but as a mainstream proposition for its most loyal buyers. The significance of that is hard to overstimate: the C-Class has long been the model by which Mercedes earns its reputation among private buyers and company car drivers alike.

Although the GLC SUV is currently the brand's best-selling model, the compact executive saloon segment remains the arena in which German premium manufacturers are most closely compared and judged. With a new electric BMW i3 -- based on the Neue Klasse platform -- also on the way, the arrival of an electric C-Class sets up a closely watched rivalry that will matter to anyone currently running either brand on a lease or personal contract purchase deal.

Källenius has indicated that the intention is for drivers to barely notice the transition to electric power, suggesting the focus has been on preserving the ride quality, refinement and interior feel that C-Class buyers have come to expect rather than making the electrification itself the headline act. For anyone weighing up their next executive car, whether to buy, lease or switch from combustion power, it is worth comparing the full range of options across the market before committing. Driver.co.uk is a useful place to do that, bringing together deals and specifications in one straightforward place.