New entry-level Mercedes-Benz C-Class priced from £29,040

Mercedes-Benz has revised its UK saloon line-up to incorporate new entry-level versions of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Mercedes-Benz CLS, plus a new range-topping Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

The new C180 S arrives on the market at £29,040, nearly £2000 less than the C200 SE that previously served as the base model. It retains that variant’s 154bhp 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. Both the S and SE are equipped with a six-speed manual gearbox.

Standard equipment at the bottom of the C-Class range includes electrically folding mirrors, 17in alloy wheels, parking assistance, automatic wipers and a rear-view camera. 

Further up the range, new Sport Edition trim is available from £31,575, adding such extras as 18in alloy wheels, Comfort suspension and multibeam LED headlights, while a reconfigured line-up of AMG Line models is priced from £35,730. 

The revisions come a year after Mercedes revealed the refreshed W205 C-Class. The mid-life update included mild styling tweaks and the introduction of the firm's EQ Boost mild hybrid system. It was later bolstered by the addition of the C300e and C300de plug-in hybrids.

Prototypes of the next-generation C-Class were recently spotted lapping the Nürburgring, as Mercedes gears up to take on the new G20 BMW 3 Series next year. Styling changes are likely to be minimal, but the mid-sized model will sit atop a brand new platform and feature advanced driver assistance programmes.

Alongside the revisions to the C-Class range, a new model has also been added to the bottom of the Mercedes-Benz CLS four-door coupé line-up. The four-cylinder CLS 300d AMG Line comes without the 4Matic four-wheel drive system fitted to all other CLS variants and represents an £8205 saving over the model's previous starting price, at £48,890. 

Elsewhere, the E-Class is now available in AMG Line Night Edition trim, priced from £43,180, in saloon and estate bodystyles. Taking heavy styling cues from AMG performance models, the new trims heads up the E-Class range with sports-style wheels, bumpers and steering wheel, privacy glass, performance brake discs and a 360deg parking camera.