In 2012, the C250 boasted an impressive 1.8-liter turbocharged engine that pumped out 201 horsepower and 229 pound-feet of twist. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the 3.0-liter V-6 cranked out only 228 ponies and 221 pound-feet of torque. This means that short of the 4-wheel-drive, there was little reason to snag up the C300.

Instead of eliminating the mid-range C300 and leaving just the C250 and C350, Mercedes->ke187 has wisely detuned the direct-injected 3.5-liter V-6 in the C350 and is dropping it into the C300 4Matic, giving its buyers an extra 20 horsepower and 30 pound-feet of torque to play with and giving buyers on the fence more reason to opt for the higher level C-series.

In the overall scheme, the 248 ponies and 251 pound-feet of torque that this remapped 3.5-liter pump out are still way too low for modern day luxury cars. We know that Mercedes-Benz doesn’t want the C300 4Matic to infringe on the C350’s sales territory, but offering a luxury car with that type of engine with that low power cannot help much.

This is multiplied when you consider that the 328i Sedan still pumps out more foot-pounds and only has 4 less horsepower from its 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. Also, the 328i is significantly cheaper than the C300 4Matic. The biggest thing is that this is at least a step in the right direction for the C-Class->ke1593 lineup, and all signs are pointing that more changes are on the horizon for Mercedes. Maybe we will start to see more forced induction across the luxury automaker’s entire lineup in the future to help get it up to snuff before BMW->ke178 pulls away from the luxury pack.

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