Mercedes-Benz C-Class news - Geneva show: Mercedes-Benz C-Class - 2007

It's a big day for Mercedes at Geneva as it shows off the all-new C-Class to the world.

Officially unveiled back in January, this is the exec saloon's first appearance at a motor show.

Mercedes-Benz's fortunes depend heavily on the success of its 3-Series rival, which explains why the C-Class was put through a 14-million mile testing programme before its launch.

All that time spent ironing out the niggles and faults that afflicted the last generation of Mercs could explain why the design department didn't get much time to adjust the looks of the C-Class.

It's got a new set of headlamps, and the overall appearance is a little more taut and compact, but the most significant development in the appearance of the C-Class is its schizophrenic grill.

The Sport model gets a great big CLK-style star on the grill, while the SE and Elegance models (seen in these photos) stick with the conventional bonnet-top badge.

There's no surprises in the engine department, with four petrol and three diesel engines available when then C-Class reaches the UK in June.

A 3.5-litre V6 will top the range, though a 5.4-litre 400bhp AMG should be on the way in the autumn.