Mercedes has put its best-selling saloon on a diet of electrons, and Electrifying took the first drive in Finland. The electric C-Class rides on a dedicated EV platform, and the video says it carries a 94 kWh battery, quotes up to 452 miles of range, and charges at up to 330 kW, enough to add just over 200 miles in ten minutes on the right charger. The UK launch model is the range-topping C400 4MATIC, which the host says reaches 62 mph in around four seconds. There is a 101 litre frunk, a 39.1 inch dashboard display, a 470 litre boot, and towing rated up to 1.8 tonnes. The headline, though, is the money. Prices open at £57,995 and climb to just under £71,000.
That pricing is the part worth sitting with. Electrifying points out the electric C-Class costs noticeably more than the incoming BMW i3 and lands almost £10,000 above a Tesla Model 3 Long Range, which reframes the whole pitch. The old C-Class versus 3 Series rivalry the host opens with was always fought on badge and feel, but the electric era adds a value benchmark neither German car set: the Model 3. It is also worth remembering that three-box saloons are now a shrinking niche as buyers keep migrating to SUVs, so Mercedes is charging a premium in a segment that is contracting. The video notes a cheaper single-motor, rear-wheel-drive C-Class arrives later and is expected to top 500 miles, which may end up the version that actually competes on the numbers most shoppers compare.
Mercedes has also chosen to make this car look reassuringly familiar rather than futuristic. The host reads a line from the press pack about offering consistency in a world of constant change, and points to the deliberately old-school shape, the large illuminated grille, and a cabin the video says feels a step more premium and modern than recent Mercedes interiors. Inside there is a single wide dashboard display, an AI voice assistant the host rates highly, and an optional panoramic glass roof that switches from opaque to clear. The car also supports bidirectional charging in vehicle-to-load, vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid forms, though the host notes the grid infrastructure for the last one is not in place in the UK yet.
On the road, Electrifying leans into what a C-Class has always done. The host describes it as quiet and composed, helped by air suspension that comes on the top two trims or as a roughly £2,500 option, plus rear-wheel steering that shrinks the car around town and makes parking easier. He prefers the sport driving mode for its added steering weight, and rates the adjustable regenerative braking, which at its strongest gives close to one-pedal driving. Efficiency during the launch drive came in around 4.4 miles per kWh against a claimed figure of about 5, though the host notes launch conditions are rarely ideal. The video flags a couple of niggles too: the built-in navigation felt off, and you cannot skip music tracks from the steering wheel. On charging, the host says the 800 volt car adds up to 200 miles in ten minutes at peak, drops to roughly 100 kW on more common 400 volt chargers, and offers a 22 kW AC upgrade for £1,000.
Bottom line: The electric C-Class sounds like a lovely thing to travel in, and that was always the point of a C-Class. But at nearly ten grand more than a Model 3 Long Range, comfort and badge are doing a lot of heavy lifting. If you want the electric Mercedes experience and can absorb the premium, wait for the long-range rear-drive version that the video says tops 500 miles. That is the C-Class that has a real answer for Tesla, not just a nicer cabin.
Commentary on a third-party video. Figures and claims are as presented in the source and have not been independently verified. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it.