Despite its almost unrivaled luxury styling and interior, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class has long been considered less fun to drive compared to its potent rival, the BMW 3 Series.

But the all-new C-Class, equipped with enhanced driving agility, no longer appears content to play the role of a low-key luxury cruiser.

Since 2007, when the previous model was released, the compact sedan has sold more than 2.4 million units globally, making it the German carmaker’s best-selling model.

With the dieting being all the rage among luxury carmakers, the new C-Class, with its first total makeover in five years, has grown larger yet slimmer. 

Despite increasing the wheelbase by 3 inches and the length by 3.7 inches, the new generation car is about 100 kilograms lighter than before.

Aluminum makes up almost half the body structure, up from the previous 10 percent, helping to deliver what the carmaker claims will be a 20 percent increase in fuel efficiency.

The overall styling has borrowed cues from its fancier brothers, ranging from the jutting grille and swept-back headlamps of the flagship S-Class to the finely scalloped sides of the entry-level CLA.

With two 2.0-liter gasoline and 2.2-liter turbo diesel engines available in Korea, I sampled a lower-trim diesel model, the C220 BlueTEC Avantgarde, during my three-day test-drive. 
 
Riding in a Mercedes always feels elegant and luxurious thanks to the carmaker’s generous use of expensive leather, wood and aluminum. Having spent time inside the new S-Class, I was immediately familiar with the upgraded surroundings of the C-Class.

The interior received an elegant makeover with redesigned, circular metallic-finish air vents and a row of S-Class-inspired climate control switches on the center stack.

Perched at the top of the stack is a new 7-inch display as standard equipment, with an optional 8.4-inch display. It can be controlled by either the existing rotary knob or the redesigned touch pad.

Still, I suspected the car in a year’s time would do battle with the BMW 320d, the best-selling foreign-brand car in Korea and one of my favorite sports sedans.

But the new C-Class never loses footing on the twisting, hilly roads outside Seoul. Variable ratio steering provides excellent freeway stability, but turns quickly on the switchbacks.

It is also the first vehicle in the segment with an air suspension on the front and rear axles, and uses continuously variable damping to reduce road noise and tire vibration.

The car has become sportier than ever and the 3 Series should take note of how much its long rival has improved both in and out.

The diesel version churns out 170 horsepower and a maximum torque of 40.8 kilograms per meter. Its fuel efficiency is 17.4 kilometers per liter, a 12 percent improvement from the previous model.

I cannot wait to try more potent versions like a 235-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine or a 329-horsepower 3.0-liter turbocharged V6.

But I think that the less expensive, diesel version is good enough to appeal to young, first-time luxury car buyers ― a fast-growing demographic for the nation’s premium market.

The Mercedes-Benz C220 BlueTEC Avantgarde is priced at 56.6 million won ($54,600).

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)