Spy Video: 2018 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Headlights Look Like Snake Eyes

That said, there is a certain way to differentiate it from the current model by simply having a look at one of the two available types of headlamps.

In this latest amateur spy video, a pre-production prototype flaunts its likely optional Multibeam LED headlights, which are almost completely uncovered by masking tape.

As you can see, the car's front end has an anguine look thanks to both the shape of the headlights and the multitude of LED lamps that are hosted inside. The front and rear bumpers will also get some nips and tucks, which is why they are still fully covered on this prototype, but the overall design will be almost unchanged.

It's under the hood where the biggest changes will happen, with V6-engines soon becoming extinct in the Mercedes-Benz lineup and the refreshed C-Class making no exception to this.

The C400 and Mercedes-AMG C43 will, therefore, get more power and have better fuel economy thanks to a new inline-six based around a 48-volt electric system with mild-hybrid capabilities.

On the diesel front, the C200 and C220 d will both be replaced by two versions of the 2.0-liter diesel that first made an appearance on the E-Class W213, while the 2.9-liter inline-six from the S-Class W220 facelift should also be available on the C-Class facelift as a C350 d model.

The model is expected to be publicly unveiled at the 2017 Frankfurt Auto Show in September at the earliest, with the car appearing in showrooms a few months later. A later unveiling, at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November, isn't out of the question either. Either way, the updated C-Class is going out as a MY2018 in most markets, just in time to have a brawl with the all-new BMW 3 Series G20.