First view: all-new Mercedes C-Class - On the road

The main sales pitch will focus on how the car drives. Mercedes claims it rides and handles better than any other upmarket small saloon, and says comparison tests involving independent drivers back this up.

The new car's eight-strong range of four- and six-cylinder petrol and turbodiesel engines is familiar from the current C-Class, but the four-cylinder units now deliver stronger performance with slight reductions in fuel consumption.

The least powerful engine, the 2.2-litre turbodiesel in the C200 CDI, now develops 134bhp - 14bhp more than before. The same engine in the C220 CDI has been uprated from 148 to 168bhp and pulling strength rises from 251lb ft to 296lb ft. Both are fractionally more economical at the same time.

There are gains for the two supercharged 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engines, too. The C180 goes up from 141bhp/162lb ft to 154bhp/170lb ft; the C200, which previously delivered 161bhp and 177lb ft of pull, now has 181bhp and 185lb ft. As with the diesels, they're a bit less thirsty than before.

The V6 petrol and turbodiesel engines are relatively new and so are unchanged, providing between 201 and 268bhp. Six-speed gearboxes are standard on all but the range-topping petrol C350, which has a seven-speed auto. It's an option with the other V6s.

There'll be two distinct chassis settings, too - one providing a slightly firmer ride and quicker steering response than the other.

There's no aluminium in the suspension, as in the 3 Series and A4, but both C-Class set-ups feature what Mercedes calls Agility Control - shock absorbers that change the way they operate according to how the car is being driven, so that you get a softer ride at low speed and firmer responses when you're pressing on.

The gearshift and steering are also said to be faster and more precise than on any previous C-Class.

In the autumn, you'll be able to choose an optional Advanced Agility package with independent electronic shock absorber control for each wheel, speed-sensitive power steering, sport and comfort gearshift programmes and an accelerator that responds more directly for sporty driving.