Facelifted Mercedes-Benz C-Class is incoming
A host of aesthetic and tech-based updates will grace the facelifted Mercedes-Benz C-class due in 2018.
Fresh off the back of a record year of sales for the Mercedes-Benz C-class, the model is being treated to a facelift for 2018. Pricing and full specs will be announced in March, with the first delivers due in the summer of 2018. Mercedes has released the visual and technology-based changes we can expect to see, however, it’s frustratingly withheld details regarding the engine and chassis for now.
On the front end, the bumpers have been simplified with a cleaner, more open design compared to the outgoing car. Other new touches, such as the bumper trim-strip finished in silver or chrome, provide distinction between the various trims available. Meanwhile AMG Line cars get a more aggressive, bespoke front apron; at the rear the changes are even more subtle.
Among the tech revisions, Mercedes has upgraded the optional Intelligent Light System with the latest iteration of Multibeam LED headlights. Each headlight cluster is made up of 84 individual LEDs that can adjust in response to specific traffic environments, such as a brightly-lit urban area or poor weather conditions.
Minor cockpit changes revolve around the infotainment and instrument cluster. As standard you’ll find two analogue dials and a 5.5-inch digital display under the binnacle, and a 7-inch infotainment screen on the centre console. Both elements can be upgraded separately: the former can be swapped for a 12.3-inch digital display and the latter for a 10.25-inch screen.
Those who specify the Driving Assistance Pack will benefit from Mercedes’s latest semi-autonomous technology. Using a combination of navigation, adaptive cruise control and an array of sensors and cameras, the new Mercedes C-class can monitor and control its speed in appropriate situations, for example on approach to a roundabout.
In the absence of any mechanical specifications we can only speculate about any powertrain developments. It’s possible that Mercedes may add the new M 282 engine from the new A-class to the range. The 1.33-litre, turbocharged four-pot develops 164bhp and 184lb ft of torque, which would see it slot into the engine lineup below the current entry point, the C200.
