The new Mercedes-Benz C-Class made its European debut at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show. Sporting a new design, resembling a smaller S-Class, the new C-Class comes to market to take on its traditional competitors, the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4.

The W205 codenamed car sports high strength steel with a high percentage of aluminum body panels. The C300 and C400 come standard with a seven speed automatic. The new C class will be stiff competition in the heart of premium car market.

In the U.S., the new C-Class will be available from September 2014 with two gasoline powertrains: the C 300 4MATIC with a 2.0-liter turbocharged direct-injection in-line four-cylinder engine producing 235 hp and 273 lb-ft (370 Nm) of torque and a C 400 4MATIC with a 3.0-liter turbocharged direct-injection V6 churning out 329 hp and 354 lb-ft (480 Nm) of torque.

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In Europe, the C-Class will launch with three engine variants: a diesel (C 220 BlueTEC) and two petrol models (C 180 and C 200). The 2.1-liter diesel produces 168 hp (170PS) and is the most economical, averaging 4 l/100 km (58.8 mpg US). The C 180 features a 154hp (156PS) 1.6-liter engine that returns 5 l/100 km (47 mpg US), while the C 200 has a 2.0-liter unit producing 181 hp (184PS) and averaging 5.3 l/100 km (44.4 mpg US).

The C200 is the fastest of these three models, sprinting from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.5 seconds.

Here is a photo gallery:

[Photos: Bimmertoday]