Following a press conference hosted right at the New York Auto Show,->ke226 the Mercedes-Benz C-Class was declared the overall winner of the "World Car Of The Year" competition in 2015. The C-Class received the award over 24 other vehicles; first short-listed to 12 and finally to just three finalists: the Ford Mustang, the Volkswagen Passat and the [Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

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"Taking its design and technological cues from the S-Class,->ke359 the C-Class employs an all-new aluminum/steel hybrid platform and updated rear-drive powertrains that delivers levels of refinement, luxury, safety, ride and handling that challenge best-in-class." said the World Car Awards jurors about the model. Speaking of which, the international jury panel consisted of 75 car journalists from 22 countries around the world, and the World Car Awards program is now in its 11th year.

Mercedes-Benz also won the award for "World Luxury Car," for the S-Class Coupe, which was chosen over the BMW i8 and the Range Rover Autobiography Black LWB. The Mercedes-AMG GT was named "World Performance Car" after having been chosen over the BMW M3 Sedan/, M4 Coupe and the Jaguar F-Type R Coupe. Mercedes-Benz pretty much stole the entire show, since the S500 Plug-in Hybrid came close to winning the "World Green Car" award, while the C-Class was also short-listed for the "World Car Design Of The Year" trophy.

Continue reading to learn more about the Mercedes C-Class.

Why it matters

Based on the Mercedes-Benz MRA (Modular Rear-wheel-drive Architecture) platform, which uses a combination of aluminum and high-strength steel and weighs up to 220 pounds less than the previous generation, the new C-Class was bound to receive recognition. In fact, along with the current S-Class, the model is the most-awarded Mercedes-Benz in history. COTY (Car Of The Year) competitions, especially ones where the jury panels comprise car journalists, aren't usually the most dependable or objective, but the C-Class should be well-worth the accolades no matter where they come from.

Mercedes C-Class

Read our full review here.