- Mercedes’ facelifted C-Class has been spied testing in wagon form.
- The estate variant has star-shaped DRLs at the front, but not the back.
- Expect a more prominent grille and upgraded MBUX infotainment.
BMW is gearing up for the debut of its all-new Neue Klasse 3-Series in 2026 and Mercedes wants to meet that challenge with some big news from its own luxury compact model and one of its best sellers: the C-Class.
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Related: New Mercedes C-Class EV Reveals Starry Rear And Techy Interior
The major story is the arrival of the first ever electric C-Class that will battle the first ever (outside of China) electric 3-Series. But every bit as important are the updates filtering down to the combustion model, which our spy photographers have snapped testing in wagon form.
The Exterior Updates
On the outside, the changes are focused on the lights, bumpers and grille, and we can see the front headlight units feature the star-shaped DRLs Mercedes is now fitting across its range. But strangely, the rear lights on this wagon don’t have the star-design LEDs.
It’s not unusual for prototypes of cars to test with the old lights in place until very close to launch, and the last time we saw a C-Class wagon testing, in January, it was missing the stars, too. But what makes it odd here is that Mercedes has gone to the trouble of disguising the rear lights, as if there’s something under there it doesn’t want us to know about.
When the full front and rear disguise comes off, perhaps late this year or early in 2026, we’re expecting to see a much bolder grille now that we know Mercedes intends to make it more of a feature of its cars again, like it did until the 1980s. The surround will no longer be body colored and the three-pointed star in its center might be illuminated.
SHProshots
Interior updates will include the latest MBUX infotainment system, while driver-assistance technology is expected to advance as well to keep pace with what the Neue Klasse 3-series can offer when it hits dealerships next year.
Hybrid Power Continues
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This AMG Line-trim C-class wears EQ badging on its front fenders, but it’s not a full EV, because that car rides on an entirely different platform. Instead, as the dual filler flaps confirm, it’s a plug-in hybrid. Mercedes already sells highly regarded PHEV versions of the C-Class in some countries – but not the US, which only gets the 255 hp (258 PS) 2.0-liter, mild-hybrid C300.
Europe’s 309 hp (313 PS) C300e plug-in is currently rated at 66 miles (106 km) of WLTP range and it’s possible the facelifted version could squeeze even more miles from a charge before calling up its four-cylinder petrol engine. If so, it would make the refreshed C-Class an even stronger bridge between traditional combustion and full electrification.
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