Among the minor updates Mercedes-Benz made to the C-class for 2018, there’s one major absence: the standing hood ornament.
After the 2017 model year, the Alabama plant will only offer Americans a C-class sedan with Sport styling, which features the oversize, grille-mounted Mercedes emblem the company had once restricted to its trucks, coupes, and roadsters. The Luxury package, a stand-alone $350 option on the 2017 C300 and C350e sedans, features a thin-lined chrome grille akin to that on the S-class, plus model-specific front and rear bumpers, a comfort-tuned steel-spring suspension, and the snottiest hood ornament in all autodom, as shown in the photo above.
As with manual transmissions, dealers have mostly avoided stocking models with this equipment because of a lack of popularity. In the case of the current change, they’re aiming to attract younger buyers who see the hood ornament as old and stodgy. We see it as undeniably rich and tasteful. While the C-class Luxury trim is still available in Europe, Americans must now step up to the E-class sedan or wagon to enjoy this classic look. Thankfully, even the AMG versions of the S-class haven’t nixed the ornament.
How We?d Spec It: 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-class, the One with the Hood Ornament
Instrumented Test: 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300 4MATIC
Instrumented Test: 2017 Mercedes-AMG C43 Sedan

The former Luxury trim’s smoother-riding comfort suspension is still a no-cost option on the 2018 C300 4MATIC. Th...