Mercedes-Benz taps into SUV-wagon segment with C-Class All-Terrain

Mercedes-Benz enters the niche SUV-slash-wagon segment with the C-Class All-Terrain. This crossover offers 40 millimeters more ground clearance than its compact wagon base car. A new front grille, rear skid plates, and bigger wheel arches make the C-Class All-Terrain unique. 

In addition to raising the ride height, Mercedes-Benz has fitted four-link front suspension with slightly larger steering knuckles and two new Dynamic Select driving modes, Offroad and Offroad+ with hill descent control. 

To push the SUV credentials further, the C-Class All-Terrain has been modified to cope with towing. A part-electric trailer hitch and trailer stabilization program has been added as options. There's also a trailer maneuvering assistant, which regulates the steering angle of the crossover at speeds of up to 5kph for low-speed maneuvering. It can tow up to 1,800 kilograms. 

For better visibility off-road as well as on it, Digital Light can be optioned. This uses a light module with three  powerful LEDs in each headlamp, whose light is refracted and directed by 1.3 million micro-mirrors. The resulting resolution is more than 2.6 million pixels per vehicle.

The vehicle's 4Matic all-wheel drive system distributes the power to the front and rear wheels. Forty-five percent of that power goes to the front, 55 percent to the rear. Power is provided by electrified engines: a two-liter four-cylinder gas engine with an integrated starter-generator, and a two-liter diesel mated to a 48-volt electrical system.

Inside the C-Class All-Terrain is the second-generation MBUX, or Mercedes-Benz User Experience. The MBUX infotainment promises brilliant images on the LCD screens, whose designs can be changed with a total of three display styles, Classic, Sporty, and Discreet.

Also inside are the optional front seat massagers. The seats use eight chambers in the backrest to give a deep-tissue effect, while a vibration massage is possible on the driver's side. Four motors are integrated into the cushion for this purpose. As for the rear seats, seat heating is available. 

The C-Class All-Terrain will stand tall at the International Motor Show in Munich in September. 

Photos from Mercedes-Benz

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