The BMW 3-Series versus Mercedes C-Class has been a battle for the ages – BMW has just revealed a new version of the 3 and now Mercedes is here with a brand new electric C-Class. 

Early in the electric car revolution, German carmakers were slow off the mark in creating truly competitive electric offerings. But in the last year, they've been catching up with a few incredible big-hitters. BMW led the charge with its reigning Electrifying Car of the Year, the BMW iX3 Neue Klasse sporting world-beating range (check out our list of the longest range EVs on sale). 

Now, it's Mercedes' turn to wow us. In an answer to BMW's upcoming i3 saloon, Mercedes has just revealed the all new C-Class, and it's packing a punch.

The new Mercedes saloon is bristling with gadgets and gizmos from the second you lay eyes on it. Clearest from the outside is its fancy new grille. Sure, Mercedes and others have been putting lights around their badges and grilles for a while now but the new C takes things to a new level with over 1,000 individual LEDs coded together to perform animated sequences to greet you on your approach. 

From the frame, to the slats, and even the logo itself, the entire grille is now one massive light show. Mercedes has even used exotic materials like indium to make sure the new front bling doesn't interfere with the radar tech behind it. That's the same stuff you'll find in modern fighter jet canopies.

Further major tech implementations can be found inside. The most attention-grabbing feature comes in the form of the latest iteration of Mercedes' Hyperscreen. Gone are the black bars from the original EQS. 

Here, they've been replaced by one continuous 39-inch display spanning the entire dash, from the instrument binnacle to the far passenger side of the dash. On said screen, you'll find an all new MB.OS system with, of course, AI-powered assistance from MBUX which claims to bring together the best bits of ChatGPT and Google Gemini.

Other interior highlights include an optional electrochromic roof that can dim itself at the press of a button and, in true Mercedes-Benz fashion, more ambient lighting than ever before. That lighting even extends to 162 stars etched into the panoramic roof that light up at night in whatever colour you desire. Take that, Rolls-Royce.

Mercedes has only unveiled the all-wheel-drive C400 4MATIC so far but even that extracts an impressive 472-mile WLTP range from a 94.5kWh battery. 

That gives it a theoretical efficiency rating of 4.99 miles per kWh! That same C400 is also the most powerful non-AMG C-Class we've ever seen with 489hp clawing it from a standstill to 62mph in just 4.1 seconds. 

Both efficiency and acceleration are aided by the same two speed gearbox you'll find in the current CLA. There's also a heat pump as standard.

The C-Class does fall a little short on charging tech, getting just 330kW of peak charging speed but even that will add 200 miles of range in 10 minutes. BMW's 400kW tech will get you juiced up a bit faster, of course. 

There is still more to come from the new C-Class though, as Mercedes believes that a rear-wheel-drive version running the same battery could well break the 500-mile mark for WLTP range. That would really make the BMW i3 sweat. Mum's the word on pricing so far, but finance deals could be the deciding factor when it comes to choosing between the two.

Ginny's already had a poke around the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class so follow this link if you'd like to hear her thoughts on the potential BMW-beater.