A TFLcar reader caught this Mercedes testing in Colorado.
Alex reached out to us with a few photos snapped in a parking lot, but was unsure exactly what car he was looking at. “Found this test car in parking lot. Not sure what it is but I sure y’all can,” he said. As it turns out, he caught what certainly looks like the 2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class testing in Aurora, Colorado. Now, this car is packing some more camouflage than some other recent examples we’ve seen. That may be down to winter and mountain testing, but regardless of the circumstances we can glean some useful information prior to the car’s official unveiling in the coming weeks. This car should launch at some point in summer 2021.
So what are we looking at, here? The replacement for the current W205 generation C-Class has been imminent for awhile. As Mercedes updated both the S-Class and the E-Class, it’s only natural we’d see their mid-range sedan get the treatment next. This model will get sharper styling both front and rear, though it’s worth noting the mid-section isn’t radically different from the car we know now. Subtle though they may be, the evolutionary changes should sharpen the brand’s 3 Series competitor up nicely.
Where we do expect to see quite a bit more change afoot is the interior. If the new S-Class is any indication, we’ll get a more tightly integrated infotainment system. That’s a welcome change from what we’ve seen in the past decade, where it was more or less tacked on top of the dash. We’ll undoubtedly get a slicker setup with MBUX onboard, as well as a fully digital instrument cluster and an updated steering wheel.
Powertrains are a question mark at this point, though Mercedes typically doesn’t deviate too far from the norm on that front. 2.0-liter turbo engines kick the range off for the standard models, and we could well see the 3.0-liter inline-six and 4.0-liter V8 in the AMG models.