The Mercedes-Benz C-class was radically revamped in 2022, shaking up the entry-luxury automobile category. The C-class has long been the entry-level model in the Mercedes-Benz range, but recent additions to the brand, such as the A-class sedan, have allowed the C-class to move upmarket and compete more effectively. The new Mercedes-Benz C-Class raises the bar significantly for 2022. The sedan hasn't been significantly revamped since the 2015 model, so it was about time. A new appearance, upgraded interior technology, and a more powerful four-cylinder engine should help this already-comfortable sedan compete with newer rivals such as the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4, Genesis G70, and Volvo S60. Even if the look of the new C-class isn't a major divergence from the 2021 version, 2022 marks the beginning of a radically new generation, with more luxury and a greater variety of high-tech amenities.

It has the feel of an S-Class. That's notably noticeable inside the cabin, which has the same luxury feel as its bigger sister, as well as the same clean and functional second-generation MBUX interface. Although it lacks some of the fancy tech features of the S-Class, the inside of the C-Class is good for its category and more opulent than the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4. The C-Class sedan provides a peaceful, pleasant ride. Even at high speeds, the C-Class maintains a sense of tranquility and control. The crisp steering is another example of elegance.

The C300 sedan, which would be unveiled, is powered by a 2.0-liter turbo-four engine with mild-hybrid technology. Output is 255 horsepower (295 lb-ft of torque), with electronic boost providing an extra 20 hp and 148 lb-ft of torque in short bursts. Power is delivered to the rear wheels or all four wheels via the automaker's 4Matic technology via a nine-speed automatic transmission. Regardless of the powertrain arrangement, Mercedes claims the C300 car will reach 60 mph in 5.9 seconds and peak out at 130 mph.

On the 2022 C-Class, Mercedes provides a fantastic selection of safety measures. The sedan comes standard with automated emergency braking, parking damage detection, blind-spot assist, and attention assist. However, expect to spend extra on the most expensive features. A driver aid package includes a sophisticated adaptive cruise control system with route-based speed adaption and stop-and-go traffic assist. It also has active steering help, lane change aid, Active Blind Spot Assist, braking assist with cross-traffic function, lane-keeping assist, and a feature that transfers the front seat occupant away from the impact zone before a collision.

Sedan variants have a seating capacity of five persons. The front row offers 41.7 inches of legroom, which is the same as the outgoing C-Class sedan, but the rear legroom has improved marginally from 35.2 inches to 36.0 inches. These revised dimensions place the C-Class on the same level as the 2021 Audi A4, which has 41.3 inches of front-row legroom and 35.7 inches of back legroom.

The C-Class vehicle, like Tesla, has a big portrait-oriented central touchscreen. This basic screen is 11.9 inches and is canted toward the driver for ease of usage. A new 12.3-inch completely digital instrument cluster is also included. The C-Class employs the most recent version MBUX infotainment system, which the driver may activate through a fingerprint reader beneath the central display. A head-up display is an option, as is Augmented Video for Navigation, a function that superimposes arrows, house numbers, and lane change recommendations onto the navigation screen, making it easier for drivers to navigate around town.

Other standard amenities on the C-Class sedan include keyless entry, push-button start, a sunroof, heated front seats with memory and lumbar support, and a leather steering wheel with touch control buttons to manage the infotainment system. Ventilated front seats, inductive wireless charging, and a heated steering wheel are optional comfort options.

Mercedes attempts to simplify the selection of a C-Class by categorizing it into three separate trim levels. It all starts with the Premium option, which includes 18-inch wheels on the outside and large infotainment and gauge cluster screens on the interior. Basic driver-assist functions are included as standard. The Exclusive trim adds technology and luxuries. Some of its features include a 360-degree parking camera system, enhanced interior ambient lighting, and a premium audio system.

The Pinnacle trim is the top of the line, featuring a head-up display and built-in navigation with augmented reality. Every model level has options ranging from adaptive lighting to a heated steering wheel to a panoramic sunroof. As usual, the AMG Line option is available to enhance the athletic design of the C-Class.

Lexus and Nike, do they get along together? No, right! But you will be surprised by the news that the Lexus’s automaker joins hands with the designer John Elliot to create tires for the luxury car that resemble the sneakers by Nike. The automaker wants tires like the white on white Air Force 1 sneakers for its Lexus. The tires were revealed initially at the Elliott’s New York Fashion Week after party. They were known as the “Sole of the UX”.

The luxury car used it’s UX crossover as a canvas for the designer tires. The tires were double stitched in leather and had a metal air valve that resembled Nike’s metal lace tips. The tires are known as new shoes by many car lovers. The car has some minor changes to it like the black wheel arch is white and the side mirrors are white as well. There is a John Elliott badge on the lower rear quarter of the car, so that it is obvious that who worked on the project. However, this is not the first time that an auto industry has collaborated with a fashion industry. The Versace Fashion House was in the news recently for its collection at Milan Fashion Week. It launched a men’s clothing line with collaboration with Ford logos. Also, the Porsche collaborated with PUMA to launch a line of sportswear.

In a statement, Elliot said that it was fun to partner with such brands that are outside of the fashion industry as it gives designers an opportunity to evolve and push out of the boundaries. Elliot is a California native that founded the streetwear design firm named after himself.

However, Lexus and its unique shoes won’t be available for sale. The car itself and the tires share recognizable characteristics such as the Nike swoosh, faux white pebbled leather and the matching embossed detail. This was the first Lexus UX designed and engineered for the city. The automobile’s vice president marketing said in a statement that they wanted to push the concept even further by creating an ultimate homage to urban style therefore they made tires inspired by classic and street style sneakers.

There are numerous ways by which companies convince the youth to purchase and own their cars. Often companies are seen showing ads of a group of young and enthusiastic people driving cars but still the young generation prefer buying a second-hand car instead. Similarly, John Elliott’s collaboration with Nike will make headlines. The all white tyres are not practical to drive with around the city but still it is making headlines and is catching the attention of automobile lovers. Well, this is not the first time that the Lexus UX has tried to market itself.

Korean auto brands Kia, Genesis and Hyundai earn three of the top four rankings in the newly redesigned J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Vehicle Dependability StudySM (VDS), released today. Buick and Toyota also make the list of the brands with the fewest reported problems after three years of ownership.

"Many owners are holding on to their vehicles longer, so long-term dependability is even more critical," said David Amodeo, director of global automotive at J.D. Power. "Some automakers are performing much better than others at preventing problems from occurring. These problems include the vehicle's mechanicals, exterior and interior—but also infotainment systems, driver assistance systems and all the other electronic systems in today's vehicles."

The 2019 model-year vehicles measured in this year's study were first examined in the J.D. Power 2019 U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS).SM Seven of the 10 highest-ranked brands in the 2019 IQS are among the 10 highest-ranked brands in this year's VDS.

The study, now in its 33rd year, has been redesigned to include all of the features and technology that are available in current vehicles. The study covers 184 specific problem areas across nine major vehicle categories: climate; driving assistance (new in 2022); driving experience; exterior; features/controls/ displays; infotainment; interior; powertrain; and seats.

The study also now measures satisfaction with the vehicle's condition after three years of usage; whether owners find their vehicle as appealing now as when they first bought it; and what software updates have been made to the vehicle.

"Automakers are increasingly looking at owners' relationships with their vehicles as having similarities to other consumer technology," Amodeo said. "For instance, cellphones update all the time with over-the-air software releases and, increasingly, automakers must take advantage of this approach to fix problems, improve features and add capabilities to keep owners satisfied. Automakers that are able to do this best will have a huge advantage."

Following are key findings of the 2022 study:

Owners of mass market vehicles experience fewer problems: Mass market brands average 190 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100), which is 14 PP100 lower than for premium brands (204 PP100). Premium brands typically incorporate more technology in their vehicles, which increases the likelihood for problems to occur. At the same time, the build quality of mass market vehicles has improved considerably and now matches that of the premium brands.

Infotainment systems remain most problematic area: The infotainment category continues to be the most problematic, with an average of 51.9 PP100, which is more than twice as many problems as the next-highest category. Seven of the top 10 problem areas in the study are infotainment-related, including: built-in voice recognition (8.3 PP100); Android Auto/Apple CarPlay connectivity (5.4 PP100); built-in Bluetooth system (4.5 PP100); not enough power plugs/USB ports (4.2 PP100); navigation systems difficult to understand/use (3.7 PP100); touchscreen/display screen (3.6 PP100); and navigation system inaccurate/outdated map (3.6 PP100).

Most dependable model: For a second consecutive year, the Porsche 911 is the highest-ranked model in the study. This is the third time in the past four years that the 911 has earned this honor, a remarkable achievement.

Highest-Ranked Brands

Kia ranks highest overall in vehicle dependability, with a score of 145 PP100. This is the first year Kia leads the overall ranking after ranking third overall in 2021. Other mass market brands ranking high for vehicle dependability include Buick (147 PP100), Hyundai (148 PP100), Toyota (158 PP100) and Dodge (166 PP100).

Genesis (155 PP100) ranks highest in the premium segment, followed by Lexus (159 PP100), Porsche (162 PP100), Cadillac (168 PP100) and Lincoln (180 PP100).

General Motors Company and Toyota Motor Corporation each receive five segment awards for models with the fewest reported problems in their respective segments. General Motors Company receives segment awards for the Buick Encore, Buick Envision, Chevrolet Impala, Chevrolet Silverado HD and Chevrolet Suburban. Toyota Motor Company receives segment awards for the Lexus NX, Lexus RX, Lexus UX, Toyota Corolla and Toyota Tundra.

Hyundai Motor Group receives three segment awards for the Hyundai Santa Fe, Hyundai Sonata and Kia Sorento.

The 2022 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study is based on responses from 29,487 original owners of 2019 model-year vehicles after three years of ownership. The study was fielded from July 2021 through November 2021.

J.D. Power is an international leader who helps its clients to drive customer satisfaction, growth and profitability. The previous J.D. Power study declared a list of America’s most reliable cars. These automobiles included different segment cars among which Toyota dominated the study. The first slot was taken by Toyota’s Lexus for the eight consequent year whereas the namesake brand Toyota took the second tie. Porsche which is a venture of the Volkswagen group, shared the second slot with Toyota. Surprisingly, this was Porsche’s first ever award as a reliable car. The J.D. Power study assessed automobiles that were 3-year-old only, which means that models till 2016 were assessed.

Lexus is one of the most preferred luxury cars in a market that is dominated by German and American automobiles. The study claimed two Lexus models to be the most reliable. These include the Lexus GS and Lexus LS. The luxury car has electric and hybrid offerings as well. However, users may not prefer a hybrid or an electric car when opting for a luxury car. The car scores high in safety features and has earned a lot of awards for it. The J.D. Power study reported that Toyota’s Lexus was reported with 106 problems per 100 cars, which is a very good score.

On the other hand, Porsche is a German automobile that has scored really good in the study. The Porsche 911 sports car has scored better than the Corvette Z06 and the V10 Dodge Viper. The car scored high in its acceleration, handling and braking. Its brakes rank the best among all and has reported the highest speed with an emergency avoidance maneuver.

Let’s have a look on the other major brands’ rankings:

Lexus: 106

Porsche: 108

Toyota: 108

Chevrolet: 115

Buick: 118

Mini: 119

BMW: 122

Audi: 124

Hyundai: 124

Kia: 126

Infiniti: 128

Volkswagen: 131

Mercedes- Benz: 134

Subaru: 136

Nissan: 137

Chrysler: 146

Ford: 146

Honda: 146

Lincoln: 147

Mitsubishi: 158

Mazda: 159

GMC: 161

Cadillac: 166

Jeep: 167

Jaguar: 168

Acura: 171

Ram: 171

Dodge: 178

Volvo: 204

Land Rover: 221

Fiat: 249

In a statement, J.D. Power stated that vehicles may lack flawless dependability but manufacturers should help customers who need help with their vehicle’s problems and fix these problems in their future models. He further stated, that this will help keep the customers loyal to their brand. The study is in its 30th year and measures a number of problems that are experienced by automobiles during the past 12 months.

According to the study, the Toyota Motor Corporation received 4 segment awards. The four cars were Lexus ES, Lexus GX, Toyota Camry and Toyota Tundra.