Mercedes-Benz E300, C300 Likely for Late Summer
Paperwork filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is suggesting that Mercedes-Benz will offer a new option in the E- and C-Class as a late-cycle update.
The document shows entries for a 3.5-liter V6 E300, E300 4Matic and C300. That raises the question of which engine might be put in with those cars. At the moment, Mercedes already sells its E300 4Matic in Canada with a detuned version of the 3.5-liter V6 found in the E350. The Canadian E300’s engine only makes 248 hp and 251 lb-ft of torque compared to the more powerful version’s 302 hp and 273 lb-ft.
While paperwork filed with NHTSA doesn’t guarantee a new model, releasing something like this in the U.S. would make sense for Mercedes. Currently, it doesn’t offer a car to compete with BMW’s base level 528i or Audi’s 2.0T-powered A6. Offering a less-expensive version of the mid-range luxury sedan could make it more competitive in the American market with the current top two luxury brands.
What’s more, adding the same engine to its C300 could offer an update to the aging and unimpressive car, which is now too close to the entry-level C250. Given that Mercedes already sells an E300 in North America, it would be an easy transition to take it from the Canadian market to the U.S. Similarly, it seems like an easy step to improve the C300 with an updated engine to make it a relevant purchase.
[Source: Car and Driver]
Luke is an energetic automotive journalist who spends his time covering industry news and crawling the internet for the latest breaking story. When he isn't in the office, Luke can be found obsessively browsing used car listings, drinking scotch at his favorite bar and dreaming of what to drive next, though the list grows a lot faster than his bank account. He's always on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> looking for a good car conversation. Find Luke on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> and <A title="Luke on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/112531385961538774338?rel=author">Google+</A>.
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