All the juicy information, and images, of the facelifted Mercedes-Benz C-Class have been leaked on the internet prior to the car's official reveal at the upcoming Detroit Motor Show in January.
This mid-life makeover will see the sedan and estate range through the cut-throat premium sales game until the all-new C-Class arrives in 2014.
It's not a radical facelift by any means, but the new C does get a mild but meaningful exterior facelift, a much-needed new dashboard and an injection of technology to make it more efficient. More than 2000 parts have been changed in total.
The biggest external changes you'll see are at the front end where new headlights resemble those of the CLS and SL (bi-xenons are optional) and a new bumper design enhances the familiar grille design. The bonnet is now made of aluminium, in order to save weight.
The design changes are less obvious at the rear end; the character lines and shutlines of the rear bumper have been modified as have the taillights, the latter getting a jewel-like design.
Moving inside, there is an all-new dashboard, something this car needs as the current car's dash did not have enough of a classy feel to it in our opinion. The new unit features a premium, fine-grain finish and improved trim elements, as well as a high-resolution colour display in the instrument cluster.
In addition, new generation telematics offer new infotainment and navigation features.
On the mechanical front, Mercedes-Benz claims to have reduced fuel consumption by up to 15 percent. Direct-injection engines are mated to a redesigned seven-speed automatic transmission, with gear ratios optimised for fuel economy.
A certain highlight is the new V6 petrol engine in the C350, which features BlueDirect technology. Rated at 225kW, it's significantly more powerful while still being 5 percent more efficient than its predecessor.
The revised C-Class also offers a glut of new assistance systems that have trickled down from the bigger Mercs. These include the Attention Assist drowsiness detection and Blind Spot Assist.
More specific details about the local range will be divulged closer to the car's launch in 2011.