The Mercedes Benz C Class is the smallest and most affordable three-pointed sedan money can buy (sales of its smaller sibling, the CLA, have not started yet).
The current C Class is a bread-winner for Mercedes, not just here in India but across the globe. However, it is under threat from its two longstanding rivals - the BMW 3 Series and the Audi A4.
Mercedes did refresh the 'C' in early 2011. However, the current generation car was introduced way back in 2007 making it the oldest in its crop.
The Stuttgart based manufacturer is working on the all new C Class for 2014 as you can see from these photographs. This particular test mule was spotted in Stuttgart public roads by Mr. Michael Baumüller, a World Car Fans reader.
Internally coded as the W205, the 2015 C Class will be based on the MRA (Mercedes Rear Wheel drive Architecture platform).
While details of the car are still vague, it is expected that the next generation C Class would be 4,700mm long, adding 100mm to the existing car, and 80mm of that would stretch the wheelbase for better comfort at the rear (always thinking about the Chinese are we Mercedes?). The size upgrade can be also be credited to the birth of the smaller CLA Class which is the new entry-level Mercedes sedan.
Power is expected to come from a wide variety of engines starting with a base four cylinder at 184bhp to a V6 producing in excess of 330bhp. Naturally, an AMG version would arrive as well with a Twin Turbo V8 4.0-liter or a 5.5-liter. However, the current C63 AMG would be one of the last Mercedes models to host the almighty 6.3-liter naturally aspirated motor.
Expect Mercedes to show the new C Class at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, a little less than 13 months from now.
[Source - WorldCarFans.com]
