Highly Specced 2021 Mercedes-Benz C-Class W206 Prototype Begins Testing

Over four generations it has become one of the best-selling Mercedes-Benz sedans, sometimes even beating the bread and butter of the lineup, which is usually represented by the larger E-Class.

Speaking of sizes, the C-Class has continuously evolved in pretty much all directions over the years, with the current W205 generation being about as spacious as an E-Class W124 and similar in exterior size.

The 2021 C-Class W206 is set to enlarge even more, albeit the increased use of stronger steels and aluminum alloys in the MRA2 (Modular Rear-wheel-drive Architecture) upon which it's based will keep the weight of the car in check. In fact, some equivalent-engined and specced models will be slightly lighter than the W205 it replaces.

Unlike previous pre-production prototypes caught testing, Mercedes-Benz has recently started using less camouflaged models to put through their paces, and we can finally check out a better specced C-Class W206 in the following video.

Details like the full-size panoramic glass roof and the AMG Line engine grille with a larger three-pointed star in the center are two of the giveaways, not to mention the three-spoked steering wheel with a flat bottom and aluminum accents.

If we were to guess, the prototype is probably a fully decked out C-Class that's definitely powered by a four-cylinder, probably one of the new 48V-based mild-hybrids that Mercedes-Benz has been cooking for its upcoming models.

Currently, the most powerful iteration of the 2.0-liter four-cylinder with mild-hybrid technology pumps out no less than 299 horsepower in the E 350, and it's likely that it's this powertrain that will power the C 350 W206 as well.

Never mind the four-cylinder hybrid C 63 rumors, as the future “baby Hammer” will still use V8 power, only this time sent to all four wheels via an AMG-specific 4Matic AWD system with “Drift Mode."