The BMW M3 might be dominating headlines at the moment, but it’s not the only German sports sedan catching the eye of our spy photographer.
The upcoming mid-strength AMG version of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the C53, has been snapped in heavy camouflage.
Details about what will power the C53 are hard to come by, but industry rumours have suggested the next-generation C53 and C63 will be powered by four-cylinder engines, rather than the current six- and eight-cylinder engines used.
However, our spy photographer has suggested the C53 could share its turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with the A45 S, which pumps out 310kW and 500Nm.
Although it’s down 1000cc and two cylinders on the 3.0-litre V6 in the current C43, the four-pot in the A45 S actually has 23kW more power, although it’s down 10Nm.
When the camouflage is pared back, expect to see a variation of the chrome Panamericana grille used elsewhere in the AMG dominating the front of the new C-Class.
The exterior of the new C-Class is expected to follow in the footsteps of the new S-Class and recently-facelifted E-Class in featuring horizontally-oriented tail lights, slimmer headlights, and a focus on crease-free body panels.
Inside, it’s expected to offer a version of the vertically-oriented My MBUX infotainment system set to debut in the S-Class.
The new model may be out and testing (below) already, but the current W205 C-Class still has some life in it. It was given a facelift in 2018, and was revealed in 2014.
Since then we’ve seen a new BMW 3 Series and stronger competitors from the likes of Jaguar, Volvo, and Genesis.
The C-Class last year comfortably outsold the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4, with 6798 sales compared to 3135 and 1284 respectively.
