23Mercedes has given its combustion-powered C-Class a mid-life update just in time to join its new electric cousin on the showroom forecourt. But while petrol and plug-in hybrid power lives on, the C-Class diesel is dead in the UK. There’s still a choice of bodystyles, however, because the updated Mercedes C-Class comes in both saloon and estate forms – unlike its new all-electric C-Class sibling, which is saloon only. As for pricing, the C-Class facelift kicks off with the C 250 petrol in base Urban Edition trim costing from £46,995. The more powerful C 300 petrol is priced from £49,145 and the C 300e plug-in hybrid is available from £52,515. The C-Class Estate can be had with the same trim and engines as the saloon, and costs around £2,500 extra. The C-Class in electric form starts from £57,995 in C 400 guise for comparison. So what’s changed on the new C-Class aside from the loss of a diesel? Well, in terms of design the C-Class features the firm’s latest design language, as showcased on the E-Class and S-Class. This sees new headlights – complete with star-shaped daytime-running lights – connected to the grille, which comes with bright chrome accents, an illuminated surround and larger three-pointed star. However, it’s worth noting that this model does not feature the striking illuminated grille of its electric counterpart, endowing it with a more conservative look overall. The rear end is largely the same as before, with the exception of new lights on the saloon; the estate makes do with those used on the existing model. The cabin has not evolved from its current generation, so if you were hoping for an S-Class-style replacement of the dash with a full-width screen you’ll be disappointed. You get the same 12.3-inch driver’s display and 11.9-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen. 23Instead, Mercedes has integrated its latest user interface into the existing layout. Within these changes are greater levels of AI support in the software, which can enable more substantial over-the-air updates. Another major beneficiary of this change is Mercedes’ navigation, which now incorporates both Google AI and Maps data. The rest of the cabin updates revolve around a new simplified steering wheel already seen on its other models, plus refreshed materials and trim options. Alongside improving the aesthetics and tech, Mercedes has been hard at work on the engines to ensure all options are compliant with Euro 7 emissions regulations. The two mild-hybrid petrol options consist of the C 250, which has a turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to an electric motor, and puts out a total of 237bhp and 320Nm of torque for a 7.3-second 0-62mph time and 154mph top speed. The combined efficiency for the C 250 stands at 43.5mpg – identical to its main rival, the BMW 320i. The C 300 has a more powerful version of the same four-cylinder engine and the same 48-volt mild-hybrid system. Total power stands at 278bhp and 400Nm of torque, lowering the 0-62mph time to 6.1 seconds while increasing the top speed to 155mph. The economy dips slightly as a result of the extra power: on a combined run the C 300 should return 42.9mpg. 23There’s one plug-in hybrid option in the C300e, which has 347bhp thanks to a small power hike for the petrol and electric motors. Mercedes quotes a 62-mile BEV range. While on paper this is less than the previous 70-mile quoted range, the standardised test has been tweaked for the latest generation – so we expect the real-world results to be largely the same. There have been no major updates to the battery pack or its 19.5kWh capacity, and it’s also still able to be recharged at up to 55kW on a DC fast charger. Mercedes will no longer offer the C300de diesel plug-in hybrid.