Mercedes’ is readying its next-gen C-class coupe, spun off the saloon pictured in these spy shots. The sporty C-class will return in 2015, and the big news is two hybrid versions. Old-school petrolheads needn’t worry though: there’ll still be an AMG model with 462bhp.
Will the 2015 Mercedes C-class coupe get a radical restyle?
Size-wise, it’ll stay much the same as the current C-class coupe. However, the wheelbase will grow by 75mm in the name of improved cabin space. That 2835mm wheelbase will be the longest in the class, ahead of the Audi A5 and BMW 4-series. The interior itself will see a step up in quality, as the A-class–based CLA becomes the entry-level ‘coupe’ in the Mercedes stable.
It’s not just a stretch-job though. Mercedes will turn up the styling sex appeal for the new car though – the current C-coupe has been criticised for its conservative looks. CAR’s GBU data section summarises it as looking ‘dumpier than a farmer’s wife after plopping out 10 kids’.
Up front will sit the trademark upright grille, flanked by prominent LED running lights. Flared wheelarches and a restyled rear end are said to give the car a more dynamic, aggressive stance, according to insiders who’ve caught a peek at the new design.
What’s under the bonnet of the 2015 Mercedes C-class?
A typically Mercedes enormous range of engines. From launch you’ll be able to spec a four-cylinder C300 Bluetec petrol/electric hybrid which develops a combined 231bhp. Following is a C220 Bluetec Hybrid Plus rated at 204bhp, which will be even more frugal.
Petrol duties are handled by a fleet of four-cylinder motors (C180, 1.6-litre/156bhp; C200, 2.0-litre/184bhp; C250, 2.0-litre/211bhp; C300, 2.0l-litre/252bhp) and a C400 V6, packing 333bhp. Mercedes intends to offer its all-wheel drive 4MATIC underpinnings on the majority of models, and the new C should be engineered to accommodate both right-hand drive and four-wheel drive.
AMG models will kiss goodbye to the normally aspirated 6.2-litre V8 as downsizing takes hold. The hot C-class coupes will switch to a 4.0-litre V8 good for 462bhp (up from 451bhp in the current C63).
There’ll also be two 2.2-litre diesel choices: a C220 CDI developing 170bhp, and a higher-rated C250 with 204bhp.