The new Mercedes-Benz C-Class starts from £38,785

The new Mercedes-Benz C-Class has gone on sale in the UK, with prices starting from £38,785 for the saloon and £40,420 for the estate.

Every engine in the C-Class range comes with a mild hybrid system, which uses a 48-volt integrated starter generator. This allows the engine to switch off and ‘glide’ while on the move to improve efficiency, as well as applying a small boost in performance.

The entry level model is the C 200 and has a 1.5-litre petrol engine making about 200bhp and returning up to 44mpg in saloon form or 42mpg as an estate. The C 300 is a 2.0-litre unit that makes 254bhp and achieves up to 42mpg, but is only available as a saloon.

The current best-selling engine is the C 220 d diesel, which is a 2.0-litre engine with 197bhp and can hit an impressive 61mpg. The C 300 d, meanwhile, has a 3.0-litre diesel and makes 261bhp and can achieve up to 55mpg.

Trim levels available on the C-Class start with Sport, which is only offered on the C 200 and C 220 d. Standard equipment includes an 11.9-inch infotainment screen, digital instrument cluster, voice recognition, 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and heated front seats.

From £42,165 you can step up to the AMG Line trim, which adds 18-inch alloy wheels, tinted windows, AMG styling package, and a Nappa leather-trimmed steering wheel.

The Premium equipment line starts at £43,250 and adds 19-inch alloy wheels, keyless go, electrically adjustable front seats, augmented reality navigation system and a 360-degree parking assistant.

Finally the Premium Plus starts at £46,700 and brings a new 19-inch alloy wheel design, panoramic sliding roof, head-up display and four-zone climate control. These models also have an optional upgrade for £1,695 called the Driving Assistance Package Plus that adds top driver assistance technology.