Episode Details

This is entirely a German-market story for now. Mercedes-Benz announced the C 300 4Matic Electric is available to order starting at €62,951 including VAT — roughly $73,000 at current exchange rates — positioning it as the accessible entry point beneath the C 400, which Autoblog covered at its own launch starting around $80,000 and climbing past $110,000 when fully optioned, hardly leaving the C-Class in the “entry-level luxury” segment it has historically occupied.

What The C 300 Actually Offers

The C 300 trades down on both battery and power to hit its lower price: an 85-kWh usable battery pack rather than the C 400’s 94-kWh unit, delivering a WLTP-rated 429 miles of range against the C 400’s 473. Combined output lands at 416 hp and 590 lb-ft, enough for a 4.5-second sprint to 62 mph — a genuine step down from the C 400’s 483 hp and 4.0-second run, though still standard all-wheel drive on both cars. The 800-volt architecture carries over unchanged, with DC fast charging up to 320 kW adding 180 miles of range in 10 minutes.

Not Just A Cheaper Badge

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Everything else about the C 300 is shared with its pricier sibling: the same coupe-like silhouette, the same MBUX Hyperscreen dashboard, and optional Airmatic air suspension with rear-axle steering. That’s consistent with how Mercedes has positioned this whole generation — early passenger-seat impressions of the C 400 described a docile, refined cruiser rather than a sport sedan, a character that should carry over largely intact to the less powerful C 300.

Still No Word On America

What’s confirmed is simple: neither the C 400 nor this new C 300 has a US launch date, following the same pattern BMW’s competing i3 sedan has followed so far — both automakers are actively fighting for this segment in Europe while leaving American buyers of compact electric luxury sedans with nothing from either brand.