Mercedes-Benz C-Class vs Hyundai Genesis

The Mercedes-Benz C-Class was the automaker’s entry-level model, but it needed a new role. Mercedes now has a line of compact cars serving as lower-priced entryways to the brand, so it’s moving the C-Class upmarket. The redesigned 2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan borrows design elements from the automaker’s flagship S-Class to entice new car buyers on a budget who still want the most Mercedes for their money.

The C-Class competes against a formidable array of small sports sedans. Like the Mercedes, the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, Lexus IS, and Volvo S60 are fixtures in this segment, with nameplates that date back at least two decades. The Acura TLX, Cadillac CT4, and Infiniti Q50 are newer names that build on their respective brands’ experience in the segment. The Genesis G70 is a relative newcomer from a recently launched brand that’s already managed to impress.

The all-new C-Class launches in C300 sedan form with standard rear-wheel drive (RWD), optional 4Matic all-wheel drive (AWD), and Premium, Exclusive, and Pinnacle trim levels. Our test car was a C300 4Matic in the top Pinnacle trim. An AMG C43 performance model is also on the way, but it’s not expected to hit showrooms until after the C300, which arrives at dealerships later this spring.

Have you ever seen a sports or action movie in which the protagonist makes a first attempt at a goal early in the movie, fails, then embarks on a training montage, only to succeed in the end? The lesson is that sometimes the first attempt isn’t the best, but if the desire is there, it will eventually lead to victory—but only after addressing one’s shortcomings. That is the 2015 Hyundai Genesis.

In 2007, Hyundai brought a concept for the Genesis to the New York International Auto Show and stunned onlookers, not for the car’s design (though it was attractive), but because of the car’s stated goal: Hyundai was getting into the luxury game. The Korean bargain brand? Building a luxury car? The automaker was building highly competent products, but it still came as a shock.

Fast-forward to 2014, and the shock has worn off. The Genesis was joined by the Equus, an even higher-end product. But in this time, the Genesis started to feel dated compared to its more aggressively styled siblings. By 2014 the Genesis was feeling almost anonymous. And that all changed for the 2015 model year.