Although the Mercedes-Benz C-Class->ke1593 has been fighting a fierce battle against the BMW 3 Series->ke290 and the Audi A4->ke1087 for about two decades now, it was only two years ago, in 2012, that the company finally decided to tackle its rivals with a proper coupe->ke141. But the fixed-roof two-door wasn't followed by a much-needed convertible->ke144, with the Stuttgart crew opting to wait for the W205 C-Class to arrive. Now that the brand-new sedan->ke142 is ready to meet its customers, the very fist C-Class drop-top is in the works and expected to go on sale sometime next year.

The Germans have been working on it since 2013, but development appears to have moved a huge step forward since September, when we last saw the C-Class Convertible prototype wandering the streets. Now spotted near the manufacturer's R&D center in Sindelfingen, the vehicle lost the body cladding that made it look like an awkwardly chopped ride.

Its sleek appearance is finally starting to take shape, but to get a better idea of what we're dealing with, we have to ignore the bulky piece that's covering the soft-top. We also need to ignore the strange round taillights, as they'll become more familiar once the camouflage is removed.

Like the car, the details around it are still under wraps, but we're looking at a convertible that's likely to be lighter than its rivals. That's because Mercedes->ke187 wisely decided to develop the model from the ground up and not by slaughtering the coupe and reinforcing it for additional strength.

The drop-top is expected to borrow the entire lineup of engine from the C-Class sedan, which means it'll cross the pond with a 2.0-liter four-pot and a 3.0-liter V-6 under the hood, both with turbochargers attached to them. A C63 AMG is also likely to arrive, but Mercedes-Benz has yet to confirm this scenario.

Click past the jump to read more about the 2015 Mercedes C-Class Convertible.

Why It Matters

Judging by these spy shots, the C-Class Convertible is in its final development stage and it won't take too long before we see it undressed and with its top down. With the 2015 C-Class Sedan out in the open, we're pretty sure the convertible will be looker. All we need to find out is where it will stand against the all-new 4 Series Convertible in terms of performance and pricing.

Spy Shots

2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class