2027 Mercedes-Benz C-Class EV: Lots O’ScreenCourtesy Mercedes-Benz
Say hello to the 2027 Mercedes-Benz C400 Electric. It’s the new C-Class EV—but before you get too worried, no, the gasoline-powered C-Class isn’t going anywhere. It’s simply that now there’s an electric option, too, and it’s arriving directly after BMW launched its new electric i3. These two are sure to be close competitors, so let’s see what Mercedes is bringing to the table.
For starters, Mercedes is once again arriving with a new naming scheme for an EV. This isn’t the EQC, or C-Class with EQ Technology; it’s simply the C400 4Matic Electric. The design is familiar and shares plenty with the new electric GLC-Class revealed last year.
A huge panel grille with optional illumination first grabs your attention. A light-up three-pointed star sits in the middle of the grille, and the daytime running lights are similarly lit up in the shape of Mercedes’s logo. The general shape of the car suggests aerodynamics took priority, and its slippery 0.22 drag coefficient backs it up. The traditional three-box sedan shape has been replaced by a sloping sportback-like look, though this C-Class has a traditional trunk, not a liftback. A black panel housing the three-pointed star taillights is the boldest design touch out back. Nothing about the look is showy or ostentatious, but it certainly has more character than other Mercedes EVs like the EQE or pre-refresh EQS.
Courtesy Mercedes-Benz
Under the fresh bodywork are a whole lot of features that will be fresh to the C-Class. Airmatic air suspension will be an option; it lowers the car in Sport mode, but also for highway driving to improve efficiency. Plus, the car has the same Car-to-X intelligent suspension control as the new S-Class that uses data from other Mercedes-Benz cars on the road to help prepare your C-Class’s suspension for impending potholes. The air suspension comes as part of the Agility & Comfort package that also includes rear-wheel steering, which allows for up to 4.5 degrees of rear-wheel steering angle, bringing the turning radius down to 36.7 feet—similar to a Honda Civic. The rear wheels can also turn with the fronts up to 2.5 degrees, to aid stability at high speeds.
Only a single powertrain/battery combination will be available at launch. The C400 4Matic has two electric motors, one on each axle for all-wheel drive, that supply a combined output of 482 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. Mercedes claims a 0-60 miles-per-hour time of just 3.9 seconds, and a top speed of 130 mph. One wrinkle in this dual-motor setup is that the rear uses a two-speed transmission; first gear is for low-speed efficiency and better acceleration, while second gear provides more efficient highway cruising. Shifting is always done automatically, and how it operates is tied to the drive mode.
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A 94-kilowatt-hour battery pack is fitted, and according to the optimistic WLTP rating, supplies a range of 473 miles. (EPA-estimated range is not available yet, but expect it to be lower.) Charging the C-Class Electric, which uses 800-volt technology, should prove rapid, thanks to a peak charging power of 330 kilowatts. Mercedes claims you can gain 202 miles of range from just 10 minutes on a charger—again, using WLTP range ratings.
Improved brake recuperation tech is also credited for the C-Class’ range, as it’s capable of recuperating power up to 300 kW. And in case you’re worried about 400-volt charging on Tesla Superchargers, Mercedes notes that a DC converter is fitted as standard, to allow for charging via lower voltage chargers.
Courtesy Mercedes-Benz
We already saw the interior of the new C-Class last week—check that deep dive out here—but now there’s even more information. For starters, it’s bigger inside the electric C-Class than the current gas model. The car’s electric architecture allows Mercedes to push the wheels further to the corners, extending the wheelbase by 3.8 inches; this translates to 0.5 inches more space in front and 0.4 inches more legroom in the rear. And don’t worry about that new glass roof intruding, as Mercedes says there’s 0.9 inches more headroom in the rear. Plus, the rear trunk is larger than the gas C-Class, and there’s even a small frunk for additional storage.
And, of course, there are screens. The flagship Hyperscreen dash is shown in photos here, but you can see all three screen options below.
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One step down from the seamless, full-dash screen is the Superscreen that combines three separate displays under one piece of glass. Then the standard option is the weirdest of all, as it looks identical to the Superscreen at first glance, but the passenger screen is reduced to a “digitally animated trim panel” that you can’t interact with like the Superscreen’s passenger screen. Below the screen(s) are two ventilated wireless phone chargers and a row of buttons alongside a volume scroll wheel.
Mercedes says the screen setup is powered by a water-cooled high-performance supercomputer and graphics by Unity Game Engine. It has fourth-generation MBUX software that makes use of AI from ChatGPT 4.o, Google Gemini, and Microsoft’s Bing, depending on what’s being asked of it. And in case the array of screens in front of you isn’t enough, there’s an optional augmented reality head-up display that projects tons of information in front of you in an 18-inch display area.
Courtesy Mercedes-Benz
There’s no price available yet, but watch out for the C400 Electric in U.S. dealerships in the first half of 2027. That’s right in line with the BMW i3’s launch schedule—so be ready pick your sporty German electric luxury sedan.
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