The new Merc C-Class in numbers

The all-new C-Class was officially unveiled in Detroit this week, the fourth generation of Merc's ubiquitous 3-Series and Audi A4 rival.

In a bid to mercilessly vanquish its German rivals, Mercedes has thrown the kitchen sink at its new saloon. A kitchen sink full of aluminium and circuit boards. The new C is lighter and far, far cleverer than its predecessor, nicking plenty of brain-melting tech from its big-brother S-Class.

It'll land in the UK later this year. In preparation for its arrival, here's literally everything you need to know about the new C.

Average weight reduction, model-for-model, over the last-gen C-Class. That's thanks to liberal use of aluminium in its body, a weight reduction that Merc says will improve economy by up to 20 per cent.

Distinct faces: the ‘classic' version with the three-pointed star ornament atop the bonnet, and the ‘sport' version with the big badge in the centre of the grille. The UK will get the latter version as standard.

Increase in wheelbase on the outgoing C-Class. The new C is 95mm longer and 40mm wider than its predecessor, though 5mm lower. Such embiggening moves the new C further from last year's compact CLA, which now occupies the 'baby saloon' slot.

Size of the vast central display screen, should you spec Merc's ‘COMAND' infotainment system. If you don't, you'll have to make do with a poxy 7-inch effort.

Of the C-Class's body is now rendered in aluminium, up from under 10 per cent in its predecessor. Which makes it every bit as cutting-edge as Ford's new F-150 truck. We suspect Merc may not appreciate this compliment.

Drag coefficient of the new C220 BlueTec, making it the slipperiest vehicle in its segment, says Merc. The C can't quite top the VW XL1's figure of 0.19Cd, however...

Global sales of the last-gen ‘W204' C-Class, which launched in 2007. Just over 165,000 W204s found homes in Britain.

Official combined economy of the C300 diesel-electric hybrid, which makes a combined 231bhp. Merc says a yet-more-economical plug-in hybrid will soon follow.

Maximum speed at which the C-Class will automatically follow the vehicle in front of it, when fitted with optional ‘Distronic Plus'. Merc wishes to make clear this isn't quite self-driving, but rather a ‘semi-automatic traffic jam assistant'. What a job description.

Highest speed from which the C-Class will autonomously brake to avoid potential collisions. Because, y'know, if you're travelling above 125mph, there's clearly no chance of a potential collision. The C is also able to prevent rear-end collisions at speeds up to 25mph. We're not quite sure how. Telepathy?