SPY PICS: New Mercedes-Benz C-Class spied

Our spy photographers have snapped the next-generation Mercedes-Benz C-Class ahead of its 2021 debut.

These photographs show the all-new mid-size premium sedan without its heavy black camouflage in the Arctic Circle in Northern Sweden, where it’s reportedly being tested over 800km-long durability trips in sub-zero temperatures.

We’ll have to wait until late September, when it makes its world debut at the 2020 Paris motor show, for our first official look at the all-new W206 C-Class without camouflage.

But for now these images show the next Mercedes-Benz C-Class will wear an upright three-bar grille flanked by ‘angrier’ headlights beneath LED DRL ‘eyebrows’, and a sleeker profile with a more rounded roof and more heavily sloping bonnet and bootlid.

The new C-Class range – once again including sedan, coupe, wagon and convertible – is set to be completely electrified via both plug-in hybrid and mild-hybrid powertrains.

A combination of turbocharged four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines paired to 48-volt electrical systems will take over from previous six-pot donks, and the new C-Class is also expected to be available for the first time in a fully-electric variant.

Meantime over at Mercedes-AMG, an inline six-cylinder petrol engine will be reserved for the new C 43, while the high-performance C 63 flagship will retain its beefy twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8.

Based on a development of Daimler’s Modular Rear Architecture (MRA) platform, the new-gen C-Class will be lighter than before thanks extra aluminium in its construction.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz C-Class will also get more advanced self-driving technology said to offer Level 3 autonomy, allowing for hands-free driving at speeds of up to 130km/h (where legal).