Mercedes Drops the C 300 Name: The Updated C-Class Is Now the 255-HP C 350
Output stays at 255 hp, but an electric compressor, a 27-hp overboost, and S-Class tech arrive when the sedan reaches U.S. dealers in the first half of 2027.
Mercedes-Benz is retiring the C 300 badge in the U.S. The updated 2027 C-Class sedan arrives at dealers in the first half of 2027 as the C 350 and C 350 4MATIC, and its rated output hasn't changed: 255 hp and 295 lb-ft, the same figures Kelley Blue Book lists for the 2026 C 300.
What the bigger number does buy is a new overboost function and a lot of technology borrowed from the S-Class. It also lands the C-Class in a straight fight with BMW's new 330, which makes exactly 255 hp and 295 lb-ft as well, as our 2027 BMW 330 vs. M350 xDrive vs. i3 comparison lays out.
Same Peak Numbers, More Help Underneath
The 2.0-liter four-cylinder is now the M 254 EVO. Mercedes added an electric auxiliary compressor that runs off the 48-volt system and spins up in milliseconds to fill in low-rpm response before the twin-scroll turbo builds pressure. A second-generation integrated starter-generator adds up to 23 hp and 151 lb-ft at low engine speeds.
The overboost can be used repeatedly and adds 27 hp for about 20 seconds at a time, which puts short-term output at 282 hp. Mercedes estimates 0–60 mph in 5.8 seconds for both the rear-drive and all-wheel-drive versions. KBB lists the outgoing C 300 at 6 seconds, and BMW quotes 5.9 seconds for the 2027 330. A nine-speed automatic carries over, top speed is limited to 130 mph, and curb weight is 3,891 pounds for the rear-drive car and 3,990 pounds with 4MATIC.
Mercedes also retuned the adaptive dampers and stiffened the suspension mounts for sharper handling, and it says drag starts at a 0.24 coefficient.
An S-Class Face and an S-Class Head-Up Display
Outside, the grille is illuminated for the first time, with LED strips in the chrome surround and a lit center star, and both the headlights and taillights get star-shaped graphics. An AMG Line Plus package is also new to the C-Class, adding gloss-black trim, the Night Package, and sport seats with red stitching and red seatbelts.
Inside, the 12.3-inch driver display and portrait-style 11.9-inch center screen remain, but a new steering wheel adds a rocker for adaptive cruise and a roller for volume. The augmented-reality head-up display from the S-Class and EQS is optional on a C-Class for the first time, as is a micro-LED version of Digital Light that Mercedes says is up to 50% more efficient than before.
The larger change is software. The car runs on Mercedes' new MB.OS operating system, which allows over-the-air updates for the entire vehicle, and the fourth-generation MBUX voice assistant draws on ChatGPT, Microsoft Bing, and Google Gemini. Navigation is now built on Google technology.
Standard equipment includes eight cameras, five radars, and 12 ultrasonic sensors, plus Parking Assist 360 and a function that can automatically reverse the car along a route it just drove. Several of those features are sold as Mercedes "Digital Extras" that require a Mercedes me account and acceptance of its terms of use. The company hasn't said whether any of them will carry a fee after purchase.
Two C-Classes, One Showroom
The gas sedan won't be the only C-Class at dealers next year. Mercedes revealed an all-electric C 400 4MATIC Electric in April, rated at 483 hp and 590 lb-ft, with a 94-kWh battery and a 3.9-second 0–60 mph time. It's also due in the first half of 2027. Its EPA range hasn't been published, though Mercedes claims up to 473 miles (762 km) on the WLTP cycle, and EPA figures typically come in lower.
Mercedes hasn't announced pricing for either car. For reference, the 2026 C 300 starts at $50,900, according to KBB, while BMW lists the 2027 330 at $49,900 before a $1,350 destination charge. The company also hasn't said whether the C 400e plug-in hybrid it showed in Europe in August will come to the U.S.
Mercedes says it has sold more than 12 million C-Class cars worldwide since 1982, and the sedan still anchors a U.S. lineup where, as our Mercedes-Benz USA Q3 2026 sales report shows, sedans grew fastest last quarter. The C 350's sticker will decide whether the new name reads as an upgrade or a price increase.
