W206 Mercedes-Benz C-Class teased with funky new grille design – Feb 23 debut alongside wagon version

A new Mercedes-Benz C-Class will soon be upon us, with the fifth-generation model – the W206 – set to make its debut later this month on February 23. We’ve already seen many, many spyshots of the upcoming compact executive sedan in the past, but now, we some official teasers to work with.

The first of the two teaser images posted shows the silhouettes of both the sedan and wagon (likely codenamed the S206) versions of the new C-Class, which doesn’t appear to differ that significantly from the outgoing, fourth-gen W205 model.

Of the two, it is the sedan that is shown more prominently, which after some Photoshop trickery, we find slimmer, triangular-shaped taillights that are reminiscent of those on the W223 S-Class and C257 CLS. The depicted car is also wearing a set of multi-spoke alloy wheels.

Other notable details include a flatter face, and we get to see a little of that in a separate image. The C-Class’ new eyes have a sharper look to them and feature a L-shaped daytime running light signature at the top of each cluster, the latter mimicking what you find on the latest S-Class.

Joining the new lighting clusters is a reworked front grille, which certainly did not leave a good first impression on everyone at our office. Sitting atop what looks to be an A-wing structure of the front bumper, the grille sports chrome pins (in the Mercedes-Benz logo, no less) and a trapezoidal shape, which leads us to believe this to be the nose you get with the AMG Line exterior package.

Models with the Avantgarde package will have a different, hexagonal-shaped grille, as suggested by a leak we reported on last September. The six-pointed nose should also be used for the Exclusive package, although we’ll have to wait for the full debut before making conclusions.

This multi-grille approach is something we’ve seen before with the facelifted W213 E-Class, and it looks like it’ll be applied to the upcoming C-Class as well. However, an Autocar UK report claims all exterior packages will come with twin bonnet power domes, which isn’t the case with the larger E-Class (the Exclusive doesn’t get it).

The same report also indicated the W206 will occupy a larger footprint compared to the W205, with the former being 65 mm longer than before – 10 mm in the front overhang, 30 mm in the wheelbase and 25 mm in the rear overhang. This would put the W206’s length at 4,751 mm and the wheelbase at 2,865 mm.

Inside, the C-Class will adopt some of the technologies found in the S-Class, including a massive touchscreen located on a waterfall-like centre console. This incorporates the climate controls and other vehicle functions, and will be offered as an option.

There’s also a freestanding digital instrument display with new graphics, and powering the two displays is the Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) system, which makes its way into the C-Class for the first time.

In terms of engines, it is claimed the C-Class will get a full four-cylinder line-up due to Mercedes-Benz’s latest inline-six mills requiring a longer engine bay (remember the flatter face?). It has been rumoured that the C 63 will ditch its 4.0 litre twin-turbo V8 for a tweaked version of the A 45’s 2.0 litre turbo-four with a hybrid system to make up for any loss of power due to displacement.

Regular, non-AMG engines will feature mild hybrid technology instead, with a 48-volt electrical architecture said to be used on diesel and petrol units. A plug-in hybrid powertrain is also to be expected, offering more EV range – around 100 km – thanks to a larger battery capacity.

All the new tech and powertrains will be packaged in the company’s revised Modular Rear Architecture (MRA2) longitudinal engine, rear-wheel-drive-oriented platform, which aims to offer more interior space for passengers. We’ll only get a complete picture of the new C-Class next week, so stay tuned.

GALLERY: W206 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sedan and S206 Estate spyshots

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