Motoring News

The new C-Class model from German automaker Mercedes is set to be more reliable than ever, owing to the unusual conditions in which it is being tested.

Hostile road surfaces, with potholes, gaps in tarmac and cobbles, are being used as the manufacturer attempts to equip its new vehicle to cope with the most adverse of driving conditions, Auto Express reports.

The company is believed to have modelled the unusual trial conditions on Heide Road in Germany, where its vehicles were originally tested some 50 years ago.

Trials that have been taking place have occasionally lasted four weeks, simulating how the car would hold up over 186,000 miles worth of everyday driving, and have used orthopaedic seats to protect the drivers.

Mercedes’ efforts to prepare its car for every eventuality do not appear to have stopped here, however, as it has also completed a 15-million mile, global testing programme, with 280 disguised prototypes on the road in Tokyo, Namibia and Dubai.

The new C-Class is set to be available to British drivers when it arrives in showrooms in June.