A number of manufacturers have been upping their game recently with models designed to challenge the supremacy of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class in what remains a popular and profitable section of the market. Of course, Mercedes isn't going to lie down and let the likes of Volkswagen and Volvo take a big bite out of its sales, so it's going through the process of refreshing its current C-Class. After the facelifted sedan and estate wagon were revealed recently in Geneva, it's now going to be the turn of the coupe and cabriolet models to get the treatment. And the German auto giant has now revealed what they'll look like ahead of their scheduled debuts at the upcoming New York International Auto Show.
To say the exterior and interior aesthetic updates are subtle would be something of an understatement, but there are going to be some mechanical enhancements too. And one of the biggest changes with the new model is a more powerful engine under the hood of the four-wheel drive C43 4Matic.
Although at first glance it appears to be the same turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 petrol used in previous incarnations of the estate, coupe, sedan and cabriolet models, it now puts out an additional 23 bhp to take its output to a healthy 386 bhp, but the torque remains unchanged at 383 lb.-ft. Perhaps a little surprisingly, the additional horsepower doesn't make the C43 4Matic any faster as the quoted 0 to 62 mph time remains 4.7 seconds, and it's the same story with the limited 155 mph top speed.
What's perhaps more interesting is the entry-level EQ Boost mild-hybrid powerplant that's now going to be offered for sale in selected markets from the middle of this year. This unit is based on Mercedes' newly developed turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 181 bhp and 206 lb.-ft. of torque, but also has a belt-driven alternator that can deliver an extra 140 bhp and 118 lb.-ft. for short periods for improved acceleration and smoothness at low revs.
The system will be available with C200 EQ Boost and C200 4Matic EQ Boost sedan, estate, coupé and cabriolet C-Class variants, and will also get 48V electric architecture for greater efficiency.
Other, more powerful EQ Boost units will also become available as time goes on, including a yet to be confirmed C300 EQ Boost offering 255 bhp and 295 lb.-ft., with an additional 16 bhp and 118 lb.-ft. available thanks to the belt-driven alternator.
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