The New Mercedes C-Class Estate Is The S-Class' Swanky Wagon Offspring

Following on from the poshed-up C-Class saloon, the new C-Class estate is now here. As with the saloon, it's festooned with high-end tech from the S-Class, and has been nudged a little more upmarket than the ageing C-Class estate it replaces.

It's much longer and wider than the previous wagon C, giving extra leg, shoulder and headroom. Despite that, it's 65kg lighter. Not as impressive as the saloon, which was 100kg lighter than the old one, but a commendable feat nonetheless.

In the boot, you get 490 litres of space - about the same as a BMW 3-series Touring - and a useful 40/20/40 split layout on the rear seats. There's even a 'Hands-Free Access' option, which will pop the tailgate open for you if you wave your foot under the rear bumpy. Handy.

The luxurious cabin is taken straight from the saloon, which is mostly a good thing, ignoring Merc's daft new stuck-on-tablet-look navigation system. You also get the same choice of driving modes: Comfort, Eco, Sport, Sport+ and Individual. Clever air suspension is optional.

Engine options kick off with the 179bhp 2.0-litre petrol in the C200 and the 168bhp 2.1-litre diesel in the C220 Bluetec, but naturally the one we'll be most interested in is the C400 with its 333bhp twin-turbo V6 - which should be joining the range next year. Power will go to the rear wheels, while four-wheel drive is available - but not yet confirmed for the UK.

The saloon is a handsome brute, and adding a big boot hasn't diminished that. We're still not a fan of the oversized grille of the SE model, however. If it was us doing the options box ticking, we'd go for either the Sport or AMG Line version, both of which have the smarter, sportier two-slat grille.

Prices are expected to be just over £1000 more than the related saloon models. It'll go on sale this September, and if you want to see more, check out the promo video below, which for some reason features a remote control helicopter...