Mercedes-Benz C-Class Electric 2027 Review

Mercedes-Benz Australia hasn’t yet announced local pricing for the C400 4MATIC, but the pricing of the dual-motor variant in Germany gives us a hint about where it might sit within the lineup.

In its home market, the 360kW/800Nm electric C400 has effectively been pegged to the pricing of the C300e 4MATIC plug-in hybrid that is sold in Australia (albeit with rear-wheel drive only) for $98,200 plus on-road costs. That should mean the EV will be priced around the $100,000 level.

The “early 2027” timing of the 2026 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Electric is quite delicate, as the price threshold under which Fringe Benefits Tax is generously waived on EV novated leases will change from $91,661 to $75,000 on April 1. After that date, EVs priced above $75-$91K will be eligible only for a 25 per cent waiver.

As a result, there could be an incentive for Mercedes-Benz Australia to bring a limited launch model into the market to qualify for the twilight months of the current incentive scheme.

In Europe, standard specification includes 18-inch aero wheels, flush door handles, illuminated grille, dual 14-inch displays, a panoramic glass roof, Artico synthetic leather seats with power adjustment and heating in the front, and active lane keeping assistance.

Key options there include an AMG Line exterior package that is often standard-fitment for Aussie-spec Benzes, plus a Premium Package that adds a 39-inch pillar-to-pillar Hyperscreen display, augmented reality HUD, Burmester stereo, 360-degree camera and digital matrix headlights.

Finally, expect to see an Agility and Comfort Package as an option in Australia that swaps out frequency-selective passive dampers and standard steering for dual-axle air suspension with cloud-informed adaptive dampers and rear-wheel steering.

Later on, Mercedes-Benz has confirmed a less powerful C300 4MATIC grade is in the works – as is at least one rear-drive grade that may see the battery downsized from the C400’s 94kWh usable nickel manganese cobalt unit.

When you approach a parked 2026 C-Class Electric, it’s hard not to notice the effort by Mercedes’ designers to normalise the way the brand’s EVs look. After the onslaught of extremely curvaceous ‘EQ’ models (including EQE and EQS sedans), the C-Class looks quite a bit more traditional.

Like many EVs, though, the C-Class Electric is relatively tall (at 1503mm) in order to package the large battery between the axles. As a result, it looks its best on big wheels, and tellingly, Benz only brought cars equipped with 20-inch alloys to the international launch in Finland.

The C-Class Electric is a significantly longer vehicle than its combustion cousin, and that has translated into significant cabin space. There is stretch-out comfort front and back in an airy cabin beneath a standard glass roof (with optional dimming). Externally, it’s closer to an E-Class in size.

While the cabin aesthetic is dominated by the shelf-like piano black panel that incorporates either three separate displays or one seamless 39-inch unit, the effect is not as severe in reality because the exceptionally bright and crisp screen sits beneath the eye-line and is surprisingly not distracting.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available, though the Mercedes system works well. The standard stereo sounds decent enough and the optional Burmester unit has seriously heavy bass. The front seats are shapely and comfortable.

Considerable work has been done on the perceived quality of the C-Class Electric. In recent years, too many Mercedes-Benz interiors have been characterised by creaky noises and ill-fitting trim. That issue appears to have been solved here: we detected with no rattles, squeaks or issues across four test cars.

Setting off, the 2026 Mercedes-Benz C400 4MATIC feels placid and easy to drive in its default comfort mode, but it doesn’t take long to realise that this dual-motor launch grade is hilariously powerful. It puts down a four-second 0-100km/h time in quiet refinement, reminding us of ‘comfort-spec’ V8s from days gone by.

Something like the plush and insulating ride quality that punctuated the best C-Class generations of the past (in particular, the W204 of 2007-2013) returns here, with even the base passively-damped suspension soaking up Finnish road imperfections very well.

The steering is relaxed and quite precise, though the standout specification is again the base mechanical package without four-wheel steering, which feels more natural and intuitive to pilot.

While the C-Class Electric’s large 94kWh launch battery is slightly smaller than the 108kWh pack that BMW is bundling with its forthcoming i3 50 xDrive – the archrival to the C400 4MATIC Electric – the Mercedes still offers decent range, with a WLTP claim of 762km.

Thanks to the 800-volt electrical architecture, DC charging speeds peak at 330kW and the brand says 325km of range can be replenished from a low state of charge in 10 minutes. A 10-80 per cent charge takes an acceptable 22 minutes.

The move to electric power on the new MB.EA platform has led to massive weight gain that is impossible to fully disguise. In dual-motor form, the C400 EV weighs 2460kg.

That’s around 700kg more than the C300 petrol, about 330kg more than the plug-in hybrid version and 180kg more than a similar BMW i3.

As a result, the C-Class Electric loses the truly pleasing agility of the mild-hybrid C-Class, and while the EV is generally decent to drive, overall, its handling trails the intuitiveness and capability of the older, lighter, fleet-footed petrol.

To be fair, we haven’t yet seen the undoubtedly coming AMG versions which will further stiffen the chassis and may pull a rabbit out of the hat, but the excessive weight ultimately inhibits driving enjoyment and makes this Benz a cruiser, not a sporty sedan.

Mercedes itself acknowledges that improving the efficiency of EV models is an important frontier of product development, and achieving more acceptable weight would be a good way to go about this.

Our launch drive on suburban and country roads in Finland (not unlike the broken-up tarmac found in Australia) saw us average an only-acceptable 17kWh/100km (552km range), though we were able to coax 15kWh/100km (626km range) out of the C400 when we drove it modestly.

Cargo space is also acceptable rather than incredible. Although the C-Class Electric looks like a liftback, it’s a traditional sedan with a narrow boot aperture providing 470L of room, supplemented by a frunk (with novel badge-press opening mechanism) with a further 101L on offer.

Unlike the BMW i3 and future Audi A4 e-tron, Mercedes is not currently planning to develop a wagon version of the C-Class Electric and instead directs customers to the new GLC Electric.

If you have been pining for Mercedes-Benz to return to its glory days of strong interior quality and calm, relaxing ride quality, then you’ll really like the 2026 C-Class Electric. This is a muscular yet comfortable electric sedan that feels well-made and delivers a classic Benz experience.

The elephant in the room is the existence of the BMW i3. Both cars will launch around the same time and no doubt there will be tight competition to see which of German premium sedan does electric best – and whether they are significantly better than existing benchmarks like the Tesla Model 3.

We’re not sure we’ve yet seen the best version of the C-Class Electric. While the torquey C400 4MATIC has no performance shortcoming, its weight means a simpler, lighter rear-drive variant might end up being the sweeter option if or when it arrives in Australia.

And then there’s the well-regarded new Electric CLA sedan, which sits below the C-Class Electric in the Benz lineup as a smaller, more affordable option. The main difference is that the C-Class’s interior materials feel a cut or two above the CLA, which has been built to a price in some areas.

2027 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Electric at a glance:
Price: $100,000 (estimated)
Available: Early 2027
Powertrain: Two permanent magnet synchronous motors
Output: 360kW/800Nm
Transmission: Two-speed planetary reduction gearbox (rear axle), single-speed reduction gearbox with disconnect clutch (front axle)
Battery: 94kWh Lithium-ion (NMC)
Range: 762km
Energy consumption: 12.3kWh/100km
Safety rating: Unrated