Mercedes-Benz has unveiled a facelifted version of its gasoline-fueled C-Class sedan just months after launching a uniquely styled electric version.
The facelifted four-door model, which is now available to order in Germany and confirmed for an arrival at U.S. dealerships in the first half of 2027, comes five years after the fifth-generation C-Class sedan was launched in global markets.
It features revised exterior styling and a more contemporary interior with more digital features and revised software.
The mid-cycle update for the C-Class arrives as a key German rival, the BMW 3-Series, is also due for a facelift for the 2027 model year.
It also comes as a newly launched Electric C-Class has entered showrooms around Europe. That model is based on Mercedes-Benz's new MB.EA platform, a skateboard-style architecture developed specifically for midsize electric vehicles that it shares with the electric GLC SUV.
The updated internal combustion engine C-Class, by contrast, continues on the 12-year-old Modular Rear Architecture platform that supports both internal combustion and plug-in-hybrid drivetrains.
Mercedes-Benz has confirmed internal combustion engine and electric models will be sold alongside each other for the foreseeable future, rather than the electric model replacing its combustion counterpart.
The facelifted C-Class adopts a more prominent radiator grille with a chrome surround and integrated LED light guide, in a look resembling that of the Electric C-Class. The headlamps also now feature a star-shaped daytime running light signature, while the taillights adopt a similar design.
An AMG Line Plus package, offered for the first time on the C-Class, adds black tailpipe trims, a spoiler lip, sports seats, red stitching and red seat belts.
All of the new C-Class engines now feature integrated starter-generator technology providing 17 kW of additional output and 151 lb-ft of torque assistance. The 48-volt system enables coasting and recuperation functions.
In Europe, there are gasoline and diesel versions of the C-Class, starting with a 177-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder. U.S. versions will start with a version of the 2.0-liter making 255 hp and 295 lb-ft, with an overboost function delivering an additional 27 hp for about 20 seconds at a time.
At the top of the standard C-Class lineup, the all-wheel-drive C 400e 4Matic plug-in hybrid combines a gearbox-mounted 100 kW electric motor with the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine for a system output of up to 395 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. A 20-kWh lithium-ion battery is claimed to deliver over 62 miles of electric range on the European WLTP cycle, and DC fast charging is available at up to 55 kW.
The lineup of facelifted Mercedes-AMG C-Class models hasn’t yet been confirmed. However, WardsAuto has been told the existing C43 and C63 S E Performance will not receive direct successors. Instead, they will be indirectly replaced by a new CLE 53 4Matic+ model, in a move similar to that taken with the GLC SUV and GLC Coupe.
Inside, the facelifted internal combustion engine C-Class retains the same 12.3-inch instrument and portrait-oriented 11.9-inch central displays as the earlier fifth-generation model it replaces, but with new digital graphics and augmented-reality navigation for the first time.
The most significant interior change is the introduction of the Mercedes-Benz Operating System, which brings over-the-air update capability and the fourth-generation MBUX infotainment system. It integrates AI agents from ChatGPT, Microsoft Bing and Google Gemini, enabling the MBUX Virtual Assistant to understand and conduct natural language conversations, according to Mercedes-Benz.
