The new C-Class: A full-scale Benz in a scaled-down package

Mercedes-Benz has always had its particular mojo. Made up of precise engineering, often impressive quality, an epic racing history and a few Nazi parade cars, this mojo was scalable. Even the most ordinary diesel-powered Mercedes taxicab in Stuttgart had the same recognizable Germanic vibe as an SL roadster touring the Riviera or a Unimog multipurpose vehicle tilling a farm. A big Mercedes felt like a little Mercedes and also like all the Mercedeses in between.

But that mojo has been rattled lately. There are now so many Mercedes — the company sells five SUV models in the United States alone — that some dilution of the mystique can't be helped.

The company calls some of its four-doors coupes; there are hybrids and electrics to go with the diesels and gas burners; and when the cable guy comes over to rig up the Wi-Fi, there's a good chance he'll pull up in a Mercedes Sprinter van. Worst of all, there's the front-drive CLA "four-door coupe" that occupies the bottom of the lineup and drives an awful lot like a Hyundai Sonata with worn shocks.

Then, just when it seemed as if the Mercedes faithful would have to get used to the creeping ordinariness, along comes the 2015 C-Class sedan to restore the balance in the Benz universe. This is a real Mercedes: overengineered, overbuilt, somewhat overpriced — and over here.

At its core, the new C is a conservatively engineered car. Like the three previous generations of the C-Class (and the 190 series that preceded it), it's based on a straightforward steel structure with some aluminum panels and a rear-drive chassis. That means the engine sits under the hood longitudinally — north/south — feeding the transmission bolted behind it and then the rear wheels. However, at least initially, the two C-Class sedans currently offered here, the C300 and C400, will feature the 4Matic all-wheel-drive system that Mercedes offers on most of its vehicles. A rear-drive version of the C300 will go on sale early next year.

The C300 is powered by a two-liter turbocharged four-cylinder rated at 241 horsepower, and the C400 has a twin-turbocharged three-liter V-6 knocking out 329 horsepower under its hood. Both engines feature direct fuel injection, variable valve timing and other technologies aimed at ensuring plenty of torque at low engine speeds. And low-end torque is what they deliver, with the C300's four-cylinder producing a constant 273 pound feet from 1,300 to 4,000 rpm, while the C400's 6 makes 354 pound feet from 1,600 to 4,000 rpm. Each uses a seven-speed automatic transmission.

New four-link suspension systems, front and rear, hold up the new C-Class. A self-leveling air suspension with driver-selectable ride modes can be added as an option. Variable-ratio and variable-assist electric-power steering is also part of the mechanical package.

This is the first C-Class that feels as substantial and uncompromised as its big brothers. Yes, running on an 111.8-inch wheelbase and stretching out 184.5 inches long, this is the largest C-Class yet. In fact, that wheelbase is only 1.4 inches shorter than the current E-Class sedan's and 1.6 inches longer than that of the seminal W124-generation E300 midsize sedan of 1986. The introduction of the CLA has allowed the C-Class to grow larger.

Open a door and it unseals with a whoosh as if you should apply for a visa before entering. Finished in optional brown leather, the interior is striking, comfortable and sweetly lined with wood. The surface shapes are similar to those in the S-Class, but more inviting and, well, playful. That's especially true of how the screen for the navigation system floats above the three center air vents. An Air Balance package of cabin air purification and fragrance is offered for $350. You can skip that and insist that your passengers use a deodorant soap.

The steering wheel is relatively small in diameter, relatively thick-rimmed and absolutely flat on its bottom. It's an instantly more engaging invitation to the driver to have fun than you'll find in other Mercedes sedans. The transmission is still controlled by a wand behind the wheel, and because it's up there, there's not a pointlessly large shifter taking up acreage on the center console.

Instead, the console has a track pad and dial from which to control the Comand interface, which alternates from being amusing to being utterly frustrating depending on the task. You can make manual shifts with paddles behind the steering wheel.

The C300's four-cylinder engine is virtually silent. This is a version of an engine rated at 208 horsepower in the CLA, where it's mounted transversely and isn't as well isolated as it is in the C-Class. The 4 is too good to dismiss. It's so easygoing that most buyers will never feel as if they've settled for second-best.

Based on the EPA rating, the C300 can return an impressive 24 mpg in the city and 31 on the highway; the C400's numbers come in at 21/29.

Car and Driver measured the C400 4Matic romping from 0 to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds and through the quarter-mile in a blazing 13.3 seconds at 107 mph — solid numbers for a muscle car. Edmunds.com tested the C300 at 6.5 seconds from 0 to 60.

Prices start at $41,325 for the C300 4Matic and $49,515 for the C400 4Matic. The test cars were loaded up: The C300's sticker reached $55,995, and the C400 was $62,725. Not cheap, by any means, but I could skip some of the options, including the $1,480 oversize Panorama sunroof. And anyone not subject to the Polar Vortex who wants a C300 can wait for the less expensive rear-drive version, which will start at $39,325. Mercedes has already announced that a high-performance AMG C63 powered by a 503-horsepower four-liter twin-turbo V-8 will go on sale next year. But just as tantalizing are the prospects for diesel and gas-electric hybrid versions that are likely to come.