2027 Mercedes C-Class EV Interior ReviewMercedes BenzWhen you buy a Mercedes, you likely carry an expectation that it will be a cut above. Not every model must have an S-Class level of luxury, but fine materials and a sense of pampering should come with the bill of lading.We spent some time recently in the all-new 2027 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, which goes on sale in the first half of 2027, beginning with the electric C400 4Matic. We got to experience some of its dynamics on a track in Finland (read our first drive review here), and we of course also spent some time checking out the car's new interior. The midsize sedan is built now on the new MB.EA platform with new MB.OS software to give it the latest in tech and connectivity.The screen is the first thing you notice, followed by the stars that greet you when you climb inside. Customers can opt for the 39.1-inch Hyperscreen with its 10 million pixels and 1,000-LED matrix backlights for incredibly crisp and detailed graphics. Or choose the Superscreen with three displays under a large piece of glass. Both are impressive, not just in the clarity of what they display but also in the plethora of apps and information available and the ability to customize it all. Want navigation on both the center screen and driver display? Press and drag the widgets. Drag a favorite to the menu bar at the bottom of the screen and tap to remove it from the bar and return it to the sea of apps on the main screen. The driver's display, center screen, and passenger screens can all be personalized.Mercedes BenzWanna Get Cozy?There is some fun stuff, like campfire mode that also turns on the heated seats and warms the steering wheel. There are nine styles of screen background to set the mood, with names like Cosmic Glow, Calm Depths, Polar Night, and High Surf. All are designed to provide a specific ambience without distracting the driver or passengers. Swipe the screen to change the motif; gestures do a lot of the heavy lifting with this Mercedes infotainment system. Also, the new MB.OS connects the car to the cloud, making more over-the-air updates possible as the company offers new features.Talk to MeThe 2027 C-Class has a new virtual assistant powered by AI triplets Microsoft, Google, and ChatGTP. Choose your Avatar: a standard Mercedes star, a humanlike face, or a playful alien. Behind the avatar are six AI agents waiting to answer any questions you pose. One might tackle a navigation request while another finds a restaurant and another locates that song whose title you can't remember.AdvertisementAdvertisementWe also learned that if you are in the car alone, singing along, it will activate the avatar. A colleague said the avatar took issue with the lyrics and wanted to offer therapeutic advice. This is how we learned there is a Skip Activation mode that allows the sole occupant to make requests more easily. But you can turn that off so the car does not take everything you say as an invitation to discussion unless you specifically ask by saying, "Hey Mercedes."The new C-Class also comes with a Burmeister 3D surround-sound system with Dolby Atmos, or you can upgrade to the 4D system with exciters in the seat so you feel the sound through the material. Ask the car what a dinosaur sounds like, and feel the roar.Easter egg: If you ask the car to activate the ejection seat, it will rumble the front passenger seat as it starts the countdown from 10, getting closer to ejection time before it says, "No, I'm just kidding."Mercedes BenzManual ControlsDespite the high-tech screen that allows for settings adjustments, we appreciate that many functions can also be done manually: seat position, air vents, and audio volume included. Ola Källenius, Mercedes-Benz Group chairman of the board of management, said Mercedes spent countless hours on the user experience and the push-pull debate of screen controls versus knobs and buttons. "The underlying joke: It needs to be so easy that either a 5-year-old kid or board member at Mercedes can operate it. That is the hurdle," he said. And although he thinks voice commands are unbelievably good, and Mercedes will use its partnership with Liquid AI to bring embedded Liquid Foundation Models to the MBUX system in the U.S. for even faster processing, he says the reliance on screen controls by the industry as a whole has gone too far. This is why Mercedes brought back and will continue to introduce sensible buttons. "I don't know if we're at peak screen, but we're at low button," he said.Soft Surfaces MatterWe checked out a couple C-Class interiors. A blue C400 came with a two-tone black and beige interior. We saw perforated white leather seats with brown contrast stitching. There is ample soft leather on the dash, doors, armrests, and around the center console. Hard plastic is hidden in the lower portion of the floating console, making everything seem suitably high-end.AdvertisementAdvertisementIn reality, the cabin has a lot of trim that shines like metal, but a quick fingernail tap reveals it to be plastic. It's used for the round air vents, door handles, door-mounted seat adjusters, and other pieces of trim. There was, of course, a time when these pieces were indeed made of actual metal. Old-timers might miss that quality and believe it still belongs on a luxury model, even a more entry-level one. But with technology increasing the price of new vehicles, there are probably more customers who appreciate that the look is still shiny and premium—the material swap contributed to efforts to keep pricing in check. For example, although the air vents aren't metal, they are still attractive, especially lit up as part of the ambient lighting. he air vents may not be metal, but they are still attractive, especially lit up as part of the ambient lighting.Mercedes BenzMercedes also saved money on the headliner. Don't bother touching it; accept that it is black and functional and does not need petting. The trim around the center console and forming a lip below the screen is a play on carbon fiber, with a silvery white and black pattern that looks a bit like snakeskin. It's a bit different, and we liked it.Dual wireless phone chargers sit side by side in the center console. We applaud automakers who recognize there is often a passenger with a phone that needs juice or a driver with a second device that also needs charging. If you need USB outlets, they're a bit of a reach, located under the floating center console. But chances are you will attach your cord once and leave it there, hidden from view when not in use. There are two additional ports for rear passengers.Getting the AMG TreatmentWe also hopped into a lavender AMG Line C-Class outfitted with the AMG flat-bottom steering wheel, floormats, and bolstered sport seats in black Alcantara with leather on their sides and headrest. Red contrast stitching and seat belts add a racy feel. The car featured the same big screen but some different trim, again reminiscent of carbon fiber.AdvertisementAdvertisementFor those who prefer, there is a synthetic leather interior, certified by the Vegan Society. Buyers can also opt for massaging seats; you need to use the screen to start the massage and to adjust the lumbar support by sliding a circle in the direction you desire. The latter could be simpler and more intuitive.Mercedes BenzLook Up at the StarsThe 2027 Mercedes C-Class' panoramic roof has 162 "stars" to create your own soothing night. The roof has three settings, accessed via the touchscreen: Clear leaves it as regular glass but dotted with stars, and Dimmed turns the entire surface opaque. The roof is divided into nine segments, and you may select how much light to let in and from which segment with the Motif setting. We were surprised none of the choices goes very dark, but opaque does provide protection against glare. Ambient lighting changes the colors of the stars.One problem with the roof is that it comes down enough on the sides that it is easy to bump your head getting into the rear seat. Headroom and legroom are decent once you're safely inside, however, and rear passengers have a pair of USB outlets and a tiny shelf that will fit most phones.Mercedes BenzAs for the trunk, it is of normal size, with a small cargo net on the side to hold a safety kit in place. And even though this model is electric, there is a frunk in the space where an engine goes in the hybrid version.AdvertisementAdvertisementIs the new C-Class luxury enough? The C400 is attractive and comfortable, mixing old-world materials with huge modern screens. It competes in a world where many mainstream models have upped their game, creating a higher bar to clear. We think Mercedes accomplished that, but it will have to keep looking over its shoulder and advancing its offerings.
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