By Nat Shirley
Friday, Jun 8th, 2012 @ 3:57 pm
 
Mercedes-Benz will upgrade the mid-level, all-wheel-drive model in its C-Class sedan lineup, the C300 4MATIC, with a larger and more powerful engine for the 2013 model year.

The C300's new engine, first hinted at last month by paperwork the automaker filed with the NHTSA, will be a direct-injected 3.5-liter V6 with 248 horsepower and 251 lb-ft of torque. The motor is a detuned version of the 302-horsepower V6 used in the C350 and E350, Car and Driver reports.

The more potent mill will give the C300 some much-needed differentiation from the entry-level C250; the current C300 makes 228 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque from its 3.0-liter six, which is fairly close to the 201 horsepower, 229 lb-ft output of the C250"²s 1.8-liter turbo four.

No word on fuel economy numbers for the 3.5-liter, which will include a stop-start system and Eco mode as standard equipment. The current C300 4MATIC is rated at 18 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.
  

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