Mercedes C-Class facelift might launch in India in October

- Global launch expected in July, India launch in October

- Gets new 48V mild-hybrid petrol and diesel engines

- Mercedes also considering the C-Coupe body-style

Mercedes-Benz might launch the 2018 C-Class facelift in October, just three months after its global unveil next month. The new C-Class gets refreshed looks, tweaked interior and a new set of engines which will be BS-VI compliant.

The C-Class will mark the debut of the 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine in India. After Audi ditched the 1.8-litre petrol in the Audi A4 for the 1.4-litre mill, Mercedes will be seen downsizing from its 2.0-litre mill to the 1.5-litre one. In spite of downsizing, the power output remains the same at 184bhp with the torque just a little lower than before. The 2.2-litre diesel will be replaced by the new 2.0-litre mill which is more efficient, has cleaner emissions and is equally powerful. The C-Class will continue its rear-wheel drive layout.

The C43 AMG and the C63 AMGs will be launched in due course of time with the 63 getting the 4.0-litre V8 just like the recently launched E and S63. The C43 AMG might see the debut of the C-Class coupe in India probably in 2019.

In terms of cosmetics, the new C-Class gets a revised front bumper, a slightly larger front grille and the new headlamp layout. Since it is a facelift, the top-hat remains the same and so do the tail lamps except for their reworked internals. On the inside, the entry-level C-Class will continue to have the current dashboard layout of an instrument cluster and an infotainment screen but the AMGs might get the twin-screen setup like the bigger Mercs.

You can expect the price of the new C-Class to range between Rs 40 lakhs to 46 lakhs for the regular petrol and diesel variants. It will continue competing with the BMW 3 Series and the Audi A4 along with the Jaguar XE and the Volvo S60.