Recent reports are in that the Mercedes in-line six-cylinder engines are not just on their way back but design is well underway. Once the defining characteristic of the Mercedes-Benz brand, Mercedes got rid of the straight-six engines in the mid ’90s.
The in-line engines will be part of a new modular powertrain architecture that will also include three and four-cylinder units as well as the popular six. Mercedes’ new engines will likely debut in a 2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class. A year after that, a mid-life revised 2017 C-Class will be introduced with a three-cylinder engine.
What’s being dubbed by AutoCar as the ‘Autobahn Pilot’ will also makes its arrival in 2016 on the E-class and in 2017 on the C-class. Insiders at Mercedes-Benz say the system is an “autonomous driving assistant with an overtaking function”.
Sources have confirmed that the new Mercedes C-Class AMG will get a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine with a seven-ratio Speedshift automatic transmission and will have the option of all-wheel drive. A nine-speed Speedshift is also under development and is expected to appear during the 2017 mid-life refresh.