Mercedes C-Class hybrid saloon interior, dashboard & comfort
Well built and with good infotainment, the C 300 hybrids have a pleasant cabin; some rivals are more modern-feeling, however
It may not be the most modern-looking interior in a posh saloon, but the C-Class' cabin is comfortable, well built and generally well equipped. Both hybrid C-Class models offer the same spread of trim levels – Sport, AMG Line, AMG Line Night Edition Premium and AMG Line Night Edition Premium Plus – with each getting an incremental increase in standard equipment, styling touches and, naturally, price.
If you're picking between the C-Class and a rival from BMW or Audi, it's worth figuring out exactly what features you want to prioritise, as these manufacturers tend to group their equipment together differently – both across trims and in their option packages. Mercedes takes a more trim-focused approach, with certain option packs only available on higher-tier models.
Mercedes C-Class hybrid saloon dashboard
The Mercedes C-Class' dashboard looks its best in higher trims, especially when wood and artificial leather make their way in, in place of the gloss-black plastic of lower trims. It all feels well put-together, but the overall design doesn't feel as modern as that of the smaller A-Class family, with its 'floating' screens and sweeping dash.
Mercedes' controls for powered seat adjustment, headlights and other features can feel a little idiosyncratic if you aren't familiar with its way of doing things, but these become second nature soon enough and everything important falls to hand easily.
Equipment, options & accessories
Entry-level Sport cars get 18-inch alloys, LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers, a reversing camera and leather-upholstered sports seats; AMG Line is likely to be more popular, adding lots of sporty styling touches and a 12.3-inch driver's display.
AMG Line Night Edition Premium brings 18-inch alloys, power-adjustable memory mirrors and seats, ambient interior lighting and wireless phone charging; add 'Plus' to the end of that trim level and you get a 360-degree parking camera, panoramic glass roof, keyless go and a Burmester sound system.
Infotainment, apps & sat nav
The central 10.25-inch infotainment screen works well, operated via a rotary dial on the centre console. It replaces a system found in pre-facelift cars and is far better, feeling snappy and slick in its operation and sporting all-important Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, plus a suite of online and app-connected services on AMG Line Night Edition Premium and above.
AMG Line cars and above get a 12.3-inch digital dial set-up that looks great and works well, operated via touch-sensitive thumb pads on the steering wheel and offering essential information at a glance.
