Mercedes-Benz’s 2019 C-class sedan will get the automaker’s new M264 four-cylinder engine but it will come without the 48-volt system Daimler touted when the engine was announced. In addition to the new engine, the freshened C-class sedan receives many of the improvements introduced in its larger siblings, the redesigned E class and re-engineered S class.
The 2019 C300 and C300 4MATIC will go on sale in the U.S. in late 2018 with new front and rear styling, interior improvements and the new 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. The M264 produces 255 hp in the C class, up 14 from its predecessor, and 273 pound-feet of torque, Mercedes says.
The freshened C class marks the first application of the M264 engine announced for the U.S. lineup. It will migrate to other model lines, likely with the 48-volt system at some point, but those applications and their timing haven’t been announced yet.
Mercedes will unveil the sedan in early March at the Geneva auto show. Pricing will be announced closer to the vehicle’s on-sale date.
Exterior styling changes include redesigned front and rear bumpers and standard LED headlamps and taillamps. The C-class sedan, last redesigned in 2014, also will borrow liberally from the redesigned E-class sedan that came out in 2016. It receives all Intelligent Drive-branded driver assistance features introduced on the E class, in addition to a new steering wheel design with touch control buttons.
But not everything is moving down. While the C300 will introduce an optional 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster display, it won’t get the widescreen cockpit — side-by-side 12.3-inch displays — available on the E class and the S class. Buyers of the freshened C-class sedan can choose a standard 7-inch central display or optional 10.25-inch display.
