Mercedes-Benz Malaysia (MBM) is ushering in the new era of the C-Class with the first local preview of the new, next-gen 2027 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Electric.
This is the first-ever all-electric model to don the iconic C-Class nameplate, and it is due to arrive in Malaysia later in early 2027 in a single C300 4Matic AMG Line Plus variant fully imported (CBU) from Germany, now open for pre-bookings with a tentative price of RM360,888.
Once it debuts in 2027, MBM is also open to the possibility of local assembly (CKD) for the new C-Class EV, possibly alongside the heavily facelifted W206 C-Class that debuted globally earlier this year.
Same Nameplate, New Car
Despite its C-Class moniker, the new C-Class Electric does not share the same underpinnings as its W206 combustion twin, where it was instead built on the dedicated MB.EA platform—the same one used on the all-electric GLC.
Now codenamed W520 (not W207), the C-Class Electric for our market will arrive in the C300 4Matic AMG Line Plus form, and mind you the unit displayed at this event was a C400 4Matic from Europe, so take whatever you see in these photos with a grain of salt.
Having said that, the Malaysian-bound C300 Electric will feature a dual-motor all-wheel-drive (AWD) powertrain setup capable of delivering up to 421 PS and 800 Nm of twist, enabling this sleek fastback saloon to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.5 seconds—making it quicker than the W206 C43 AMG.
Straight-line performance aside, the rear motor of the C300 EV is incorporated with a two-speed transmission for better efficiency, just like what we saw on the CLA EV.
Combined with its new MB.EA platform, the C300 EV promises sublime battery performance, where Mercedes claims its 85-kWh NCM battery pack is good for up to 690 km of WLTP range. Its 800-volt battery architecture also allows for up to 320 kW of DC fast charging, enabling the NCM pack to be charged from 10% to 80% in just 22 minutes.
Sleeker Fastback Design
Perhaps the more obvious (and arguably more radical) change for the new C-Class Electric lies in its design, where it ditches the W206’s traditional three-box sedan look for a sleeker fastback four-door coupe bodystyle, which Merc says leads to a much lower drag coefficient of just 0.22.
The rest of the car, expectedly, gets the same design elements seen on the GLC EV, with the most notable being its entire front fascia, featuring an illuminated front grille and new Digital Light headlamps with Merc’s three-pointed star lighting signatures. The same design can also be seen on its quad taillights—again, similar to what we see on its SUV twin.
Again, the displayed unit here is not the final Malaysian-spec car, which explains the less flashy 19-inch wheels it rolls on, whereas our C300 EV will wear larger and fancier 20-inch AMG multi-spoke wheels instead.
All these radical design changes also lead to the C-Class EV becoming the biggest model ever to wear this nameplate, as it now spans 4,883 mm long, 1,892 mm wide, 1,503 mm tall, and has a wheelbase of 2,962 mm.
Most Tech-Forward C-Class Cabin
Another headlining change for the C-Class EV is the cabin, where it now comes standard with the MBUX Hyperscreen triple-display setup that measures 39.1 inches, spanning nearly the entire width of the front dash.
Other standard equipment primed on the Malaysian-spec C300 EV includes:
- AMG sports seats with black leather upholstery and red top stitching
- Artico man-made leather door trim
- AMG floor mats
- Sky Control panoramic roof
- Burmester 3D surround sound system
- 470-litre boot space + 110-litre frunk
- MB.Drive Assist ADAS suite
