News Car Design: Mercedes C-Class

New pictures of Mercedes-Benz's worst kept secret, the 2012 C-Class Coupe, have been leaked onto the web, courtesy of several European magazines. First seen in these shots in early January, the two-door version of the C-Class was recently teased alongside the SLS AMG Roadster in Mercedes' Super Bowl commercial.

Designed as a replacement for both the CLK and CLC Sports Coupe,the firm's entry-level two door model will take on both the BMW 1- and 3-Series coupes. It is largely based on the freshly facelifted C-Class model series featuring an almost identical front end, but a unique styling from the A-pillars and back with a more rakish roofline, a Hoffmeister-esque kink on the rear window and a new rear end.

From what we can tell by looking at the two photos of the interior that have made their way onto the web, the dashboard appears to be unchanged from the rest of the 2012 C-Class models.
The engine range will most likely include the same force-fed four-cylinder naturally aspirated 302HP V6 gasoline units found on the other C-Class cars, while a range-topping V8 powerplant should make its way into the BMW 1 M and M3 rivaling AMG variant.

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If you have been following us here on Carscoop, you already know about the new C-Class Coupe from Mercedes-Benz thanks to a bevy of spy shots and more notably, a series of leaked photos that left little to the imagination. However, this time, its official with Mercedes-Benz releasing a ton of pictures and preliminary details on both the North American and European lineup.

mercedes-BenzAs its name implies, Mercedes-Benz's newcomer is a two-door variant of the facelifted C-Class sedan, and it has been designed to replace both the CLK and CLC Sportscoupe. It sits right under the larger E-Class Coupe in Mercedes' range, offering the company a direct competitor to the BMW 3-Series and Audi A5 coupes.

From the outside and apart from the two door body style, the chief differences over the sedan model concern the more steeply raked windshield and longer sloping roof, the arched window line with an upsweep kink into the C-pillar, plus the redesigned rear end. The Coupe's front end is identical to that of the four-door model.
Inside, the C-Class Coupe sports the same updated dashboard as the rest of the range but features a four-seat layout with independent sports seats. The rear backrests can be folded to extend the storage area.
Underneath the sheet metal, the Coupe packs the same hardware as the rest of the C-Class family.
In the U.S., it will be offered at launch with two engine choices, a 1.8-liter four-cylinder gasoline unit with direct injection and turbocharging technology delivering 201HP and 229 lb-ft of torque in the C250, and a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 producing 302HP and 273 lb-ft in the C350. Both models are equipped with a 7-speed automatic transmission as standard.

In Europe, Mercedes has announced an initial range of three gasoline engines and two diesel powerplants, all equipped with direct injection and the ECO start/stop function as standard.
The diesel lineup includes a 2.1-liter four-cylinder unit available with 170HP and 204HP guises, while the gasoline range, a 1.8-liter turbo with 156HP and 204HP, and a 3.5-liter V6 with 306HP.
The most economical coupé model is the C 220 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY with a manual six-speed transmission and the standard ECO start/stop function, which has an average diesel consumption of 64.2 mpg UK, equal to 53.5 mpg UK and 4.4 lt/100km, and emits 117 grams of CO2 /km.

A BMW M3-rivaling performance version featuring the C 63 AMG's 457HP / 487HP 6.2-liter V8 is also believed to be in the works.
The new 2012 C-Class will receive its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show on March 1 and make its way to European showrooms by June and in the U.S. in September.