Mercedes-Benz To Add Convetible, Hybrid, and Diesel C-Class Models
The entry-level luxury segment is heating up as automakers do their best to lure prospective customers into their respective brand families in order to hopefully snare them for the rest of their car-buying lives. A report from the Automotive News is claiming that Mercedes-Benz might soon be expanding its C-Class lineup to include a hybrid model in order to better compete against vehicles like the BMW ActiveHybrid 3, Not only that, but the Mercedes-Benz C-Class could also be in line for a turbodiesel drivetrain in the near future.
The timeline for these fresh C-Class models is slated to be 2014, when the next-generation edition of the compact luxury sedan goes on sale as a 2015 model. Mercedes-Benz will also be rounding out its C-Class family with a fresh coupe design, as well as a convertible. The latter would be the first small Mercedes-Benz open-top car since the 300CE of the 1990s. A new wagon will stay in Europe, due to low interest in the United States. Expanding the number of C-Class variants available could go a long way towards closing the sales rift between BMW and Mercedes-Benz in the entry-level segment, where the 3 Series currently outperforms the C-Class by a ratio of almost 2 to 1.