Mercedes has previewed its new C-Class All-Terrain ahead of its premiere at the IAA motor show in Munich in September. The new variant provides 40mm more ground clearance than the standard C-Class Estate and features all-wheel drive as standard. As such, according to Mercedes, it's designed for buyers looking for something a bit more rugged than an estate, but not as tall as an SUV. Regrettably, it's unlikely to be sold in Ireland.
Avant-garde expression
The All-Terrain is very slightly longer and wider than a standard C-Class Estate, which is mostly down to plastic wheel arch linings that give it its tougher look. That's augmented by the grey plastic bumpers and 'simulated' underride guard in high-gloss chrome, which means that, although it looks good, it's not really going to protect your sump should you tackle some serious off-roading.
Some of that exterior trim can be shaken-up a little with the so-called Night Package, which gives buyers the option of having elements like the mirrors, waistline, underride guard and loading sill protector in gloss black.
Beyond those additions, the All-Terrain's exterior and interior are both largely the same as those on the C-Class's high-spec Avantgarde trim level.
Tackling the rough stuff
The ornamental sump guard won't do you much good on a rough trail, but that 40mm extra ride height and larger wheels might help. The four-link front suspension has larger steering knuckles to cope with the changes, too.
In addition to the usual raft of driving modes you get in the C-Class, the All-Terrain has a couple of off-road specific ones: Offroad and Offroad+. The former is designed for easier surfaces like dirt roads, gravel and sand; the latter is for more demanding terrain, working, when needed, in combination with a Downhill Speed Regulation feature. The system optimises the stability control and all-wheel-drive systems to give the best performance depending on conditions.
Drivers can switch between driving modes using the touchscreen below the central display.
If you're in the habit of towing trailers, there's Trailer Stabilisation Protection and, as part of the optional extra Parking Package, a trailer manoeuvring assistant to help you turn and park at low speeds.
The light fantastic
One interesting feature we noticed was the so-called Digital Light as found on the new S-Class. Digital Light is an extremely powerful LED module within the headlights to allow drivers to see objects further ahead when they're driving off-road. It switches on automatically when one of the off-road settings is activated and turns off automatically above 50km/h to ensure you don't blind other drivers. That shouldn't happen though, even if you encounter another car on a dirt road - the system uses cameras and on-board computers and should be able to redirect the beams of light accordingly depending on what it detects in its path.
The Digital Light system can also be optionally equipped with HUD technology to project, from the driver's point of view, helpful aids like guidelines, width delineation and warning symbols onto the road ahead.
We can't have it
If you regularly tow a pony to a gymkhana, the extra grip and the towing assistance might make the All-Terrain look ideal, but, sadly it looks like the All-Terrain version of the C-Class will not be offered for sale on the Irish market.