Gas-Powered 2027 Mercedes C-Class Updated With Star Treatment Front End And A Bigger Brain

Mercedes-Benz has been busy showing off its brand-new electric C-Class for the past few months, and by all accounts, it's pretty damn good. It can almost make you forget there's an entire gas-powered car that actually serves as the model line's bread and butter. But that gas-powered model was looking a bit outdated and out of place with the all-electric C-Class sitting alongside it. Now, Mercedes is rectifying that with a fairly thorough update of the fifth-generation C-Class, giving it a star-studded face on the outside, more luxury features on the inside, and a bigger brain underneath it all.

The first thing you're sure to notice is the redone front end, which, like all new Mercedes-Benz models, features a hell of a lot of three-pointed stars. Each headlight (which are a bit bigger than before) now has its own three-pointed star, much like the electric C-Class. And the grille that sits between them now features dozens of chrome three-pointed stars and LED lighting surrounding its perimeter. As always, there's a lot of S-Class baked into the front end, and that includes the black grille surround, which I'm still not a fan of. Out back, we can see a similar three-pointed star motif in the taillights, something that won't be a surprise to anyone who has seen a new Mercedes over the past year or so.

Mercedes-Benz

There are other small changes done to the outside as well, but they're a bit more subtle. The designers over in Stuttgart integrated new LED light projectors into the side sills. There are also new gloss black and chrome elements on the front and rear bumpers to set it apart from the old car. Mercedes is also introducing a new 18-inch and two new 19-inch AMG wheel designs with the update, along with a couple of new paint finishes, Miami Silver Metallic and Moody Sky Grey Metallic (read: silver and grey). Additionally, there's a new AMG Line Plus option that is meant to make the car look a bit more aggressive than what the normal AMG Line would bring, because nothing says aggression like a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-banger.

While performance isn't drastically changed for this refresh, Mercedes engineers have done some tinkering with the C-Class' engines. The M254 Evo turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4's integrated starter-generator can now start helping it out at lower speeds, providing 23 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque. The engine produces 255 hp and 295 lb-ft, and there's an overboost function that can throw in an extra 27 hp for about 20 seconds.

Mercedes-Benz

Right now, there's no word on any of the other engines for the C-Class' U.S. lineup. An AMG C53 is coming at some point, and maybe a V8 C63, but it's going to be a little while.

Still, Mercedes gave the C-Class's suspension a once-over that is meant to reduce body movement by changing up the car's adjustable damping settings. As you might have expected, the company says it's optimized for both handling and long-distance comfort. What a concept.

When it comes to driver aids, the C-Class comes chock-full of them. Off the bat, there are eight cameras, five radar sensors, and 12 ultrasonic sensors that work with the new MB.OS operating system. The MB.Drive function keeps you in your lane and has radar-guided cruise control built in. You can also add Parking Assist 360 for a surround-view display and a trick reverse maneuvering function.

On the inside, the updated C-Class doesn't look terribly different from the car it replaces. That's not the worst thing in the world, considering the current car is a pretty nice place to be. Still, Mercedes made some changes to the car's brain, chiefly giving it the company's latest MBUX operating system that runs the back end of its 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and 11.9-inch vertical infotainment system. It now comes with all the MB.OS AI crap techy people want these days: ChatGPT and the like. Bleh.

What's not so bleh is the optional 15-speaker 710-watt Burmester 3D Surround Sound system with Dolby Atmos, something that'll almost certainly pack a punch with a cockpit as small as the C-Class'. Fitting into the same "not so bleh" category is the ambient lighting, a constant strong suit of Mercedes-Benz, even if you don't like it. In the C-Class, there are 64 colors to choose from, and lighting elements are everywhere with all sorts of styles and themes to choose from.

Mercedes-Benz

Additionally, the C-Class gets Mercedes' trick MBUX Surround Navigation and the optional MBUX Augmented Reality Head-up Display, borrowed from the S-Class and EQS. It pretty much turns your navigation directions into videogame-like 3D arrows for you to follow. The automaker is also adding a couple of new upholstery colors and three new trims to the car for its update. The first is Beech Brown, and it'll be available in MB-Tex faux leather, leather, and Nappa leather. It's also offering up Cherry Red in MB-Tex.

If this all sounds like your cup of tea, and you've been looking for a gas-powered C-Class but felt it was lacking in the star department, then the updated C-Class is most definitely the car for you. The wait to get one shouldn't be too much longer, either. Mercedes says the car is slated to hit U.S. dealerships sometime in the first half of 2027, but if it were my money, I'd probably just get the electric one.