About six months away from its official unveiling, the 2016 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe is still testing in various parts of the world. The latest pre-production model spotted was found all the way in Northern Sweden, where most German carmakers have established winter testing bases. There are few things in life more satisfying for a gearhead than drifting->ke2756 a car in the snow, and the test driver in charge of this C-Class Coupe prototype can probably vouch for that.
Two interesting details make these spy photos different than other "2016 C-Class Coupe on snow" images. First of all, if you look closely you will notice that the model features U.S.-style, amber turn signals on the headlamps, so it's kind of odd for Mercedes-Benz to test an American-only model all the way in Europe – what's wrong with Alaska? Second of all, the car paparazzi who sent us the spy pictures mentioned that the prototype appeared to furiously spin all four wheels while powering out of the drifts, meaning that it is an AWD model.
Personally, I'm divided between thinking that the Mercedes-Benz->ke187 tester was simply having some fun on a frozen lake or that he was testing how the model's AWD system works in conjunction with the electronic stability control. Either way, I'm more curious to find out how many lines from the S-Class Coupe will be featured on its smaller, C-Class-based, brother. Since the C-Class sedan->ke1593 already looks like a miniature S-Class,->ke359 the C-Class Coupe should follow a similar approach.
Continue reading to learn more about the 2016 Mercedes C-Class Coupe.
Why it matters
According to Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche, 2015 will be "the year of the SUV"->ke145 for Mercedes-Benz, so the 2016 C-Class Coupe should feel like an expected change in terms of new launches. Based on the MRA (Modular Rear-wheel-drive Architecture) platform just like its sedan brother, the C-Class Coupe will feature a nearly identical front end and center console as the four-door. On the other hand, the rear end will be vastly different, with the pair of slim taillights reminiscent of those found on the S-Class Coupe.
The smallest two-door coupe from Mercedes-Benz will rely on turbocharged four-, six- and eight-cylinder powerplants, but the U.S. will only get the more-powerful ones. Available with both rear-wheel-drive and AWD, depending on model, the 2016 C-Class Coupe will be accompanied by a C-Class Convertible version in early 2016. More on that in our dedicated C-Class Cabrio review.
2016 Mercedes C-Class Coupe - Spy Shots
Read our full review here.