W鈥檈鈥檙e no stranger to the Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan, as we鈥檝e caught it testing out and about on multiple occasions, but its drop-top cousin appears to be more camera-shy disguising itself with a fake hard-top roof. The convertible C-Class doesn鈥檛 even appear to be a Benz from the front, as the honeycomb grille looks nothing like the redesigned car鈥檚 two-bar grille design. We expect the mesh grille is meant to throw us off, just like the fake hard top roof, which will likely give way to a conventional soft top like the one found on the E-Class convertible. While the body cladding makes the convertible look different from the sedan, expect the drop-top to largely resemble its fixed-roof cousin. The sedan鈥檚 new design language borrows heavily from the redesigned E- and S-Class, but also takes cues from the CLA. The convertible also retains the sedan鈥檚 profile as you can see from its long hood and short, truncated rear. To distance itself from the upcoming CLA-Class four-door, the C-Class is moving upmarket and will offer convertible, wagon, and coupe body styles in addition to the sedan. The lineup will include a wide range of engines, including a turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4 and a 2.1-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel, which will likely be the same mill found in the GLK250. Also in the works are hybrid and all-wheel-drive models.

W鈥檈鈥檙e no stranger to the Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan, as we鈥檝e caught it testing out and about on multiple occasions, but its drop-top cousin appears to be more camera-shy disguising itself with a fake hard-top roof. The convertible C-Class doesn鈥檛 even appear to be a Benz from the front, as the honeycomb grille looks nothing like the redesigned car鈥檚 two-bar grille design. We expect the mesh grille is meant to throw us off, just like the fake hard top roof, which will likely give way to a conventional soft top like the one found on the E-Class convertible. While the body cladding makes the convertible look different from the sedan, expect the drop-top to largely resemble its fixed-roof cousin. The sedan鈥檚 new design language borrows heavily from the redesigned E- and S-Class, but also takes cues from the CLA. The convertible also retains the sedan鈥檚 profile as you can see from its long hood and short, truncated rear. To distance itself from the upcoming CLA-Class four-door, the C-Class is moving upmarket and will offer convertible, wagon, and coupe body styles in addition to the sedan. The lineup will include a wide range of engines, including a turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4 and a 2.1-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel, which will likely be the same mill found in the GLK250. Also in the works are hybrid and all-wheel-drive models.

鈥?BAS PLUS with Cross Traffic Assist: reads cross-traffic encounters with stereoscopic cameras and adds appropriate brake assistance to prevent an incident in an active intersection, also using rear-facing radar. 鈥?Active Lane Keeping Assist and Active Blind Spot Protection: one-sided braking. Of course the driver is responsible, but this is what we have: automakers are making the machines do some of our thinking for us, and where this evolution will stop, nobody knows. Mercedes is already developing the next-gen that is essentially autonomous capable today. Other safety technology terms in the E-Class as tested are ATTENTION ASSIST, and COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST. Yes, Mercedes-Benz does spell them in all caps like that, as it does also ADAPTIVE BRAKE Technology. PRE-SAFE PLUS: Rear-end Collision Protection. We had plenty of time to test all these on a highway drive from Pennsylvania to Indianapolis and back, and it is like having a ghost at the wheel at times.

Of course this is strictly verboten and not the idea, so M-B makes it so you鈥檒l soon get a dashboard warning to put your hands back and drive the car like you鈥檙e supposed to. And, the car will only fix your mistakes a few times before schooling you with a life or death decision. And, we鈥檙e happy to report, we thoroughly enjoyed the ride. The Autobahn-worthy E250 is well-controlled, feels like it is just loping at U.S. On secondary roads, the vehicle is also adroit, and balanced, though an M5 it is not. The watchwords are competent and confidence-inspiring, and cornering and braking capabilities are entertaining if not conspired to bring out your inner hooligan. Mercedes-Benz has been putting diesels in sedans since the 1930s, and the company has also long-since mastered constructing a no-excuses car. We really like this one, but city driving is where the mpg is only OK, and falls behind hybrid alternatives like the Honda Accord Hybrid, Toyota Avalon Hybrid, and Lexus ES Hybrid. These gas-electric cars tend to do better in the slow-going because they make use of their electric motors around town while consuming no petroleum. The E250 BlueTEC is very comfortable in city driving, does decently in the combined cycle, but its forte is the open road. Compared to actual competitors, this comes down to your priorities. Stylistically, the newly refreshed Mercedes is in the same league as a BMW 535d xDrive, and Audi A6 TDI quattro but both those cars use more potent 3.0-liter V6s like the former BlueTEC did. But that鈥檚 OK, it just means you have plenty of good choices, and if you decide you like the world-class E250 BlueTEC - with class-leading safety tech suite - no one could fault you. It is a Mercedes-Benz, after all. And, it objectively nails most criteria with drive experience, performance, comfort, and refinement one would expect for the class. Overall, it鈥檚 satisfying to a degree which few other cars can claim.

April 11, 2008 -- Four years ago today, Ford toyed with the idea of selling 100,000 Flex crossovers a year -- an idea that sounded feasible at the time. Believe it or not, it's also been four years since Mercedes-Benz's 2.1-liter diesel engine - a version of the one soon appearing in the 2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK250 Bluetec - was introduced. And that stylish coupe featured above? The two-door is a Geely GT Concept prepared for the 2008 Beijing auto show. WOT 4 Years Ago is an occasional series that takes a look at what was making news in the automotive industry four years ago in Motor Trend's WOT blogs. 2009 Ford Flex: 100,000 sales a year 'absolutely' possible - Selling 100,000 Flexes a year? Ford's Jim Farley said at the time that goal was "absolutely" possible. While the Flex only sold 38,717 units in 2009, the crossover has met its goal attracting new customers to Ford showrooms. Mercedes rolls out new line of four-cylinder diesels - Four years ago, Mercedes-Benz announced details on its new line of four-cylinder diesel engines. The 2013 Mercedes GLK250 Bluetec will have a 2.1-liter turbodiesel with 190 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque.

At the track, our 4359-pound tester hit 0-60 mph in 7.0 seconds flat and finished the quarter-mile in 15.3 seconds at 87.4 mph. Those stats make the GLK250 1.2 seconds slower to 60 mph and 0.9 seconds and 9.0 mph slower in the quarter-mile than the all-wheel-drive GLK350. Unless your commute consists of light-to-light drag racing, you probably won't notice the GLK250's acceleration deficit. Our tester rode on 19-inch AMG wheels, but came with the same all-season tires as the GLK350. At the track, our tester pulled 0.74 g on the skidpad and went around the figure eight in 28.7 seconds at 0.57 g average. Those numbers are comparable to the GLK350, which pulled 0.76 g average on the skidpad and finished the quarter-mile in 28.5 seconds at 0.55 g average. From 60 mph, the GLK250 stops in 117 feet -- 4 feet shorter than the 176-pound-lighter GLK350 4Matic. While the stopping distance is good for a heavy SUV, excessive brake dive on the street isn't confidence inspiring.