Next Mercedes C-Class to use Renault-sourced four-cylinder

The 1.6-liter mill is already found under the hood of the Megane hatchback and the Nissan Qashquai.

A new report finds that a 1.6-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel engine developed by Renault will equip the next generation of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Likely dubbed C200 CDI, the Renault-powered Mercedes is scheduled to land in showrooms across Europe in 2015 at the earliest.

The 1.6-liter engine is already found under the hood of the Mégane hatchback, the Scenic people-mover and the Nissan Qashqai crossover. Rated at 130 horsepower and 236 lb-ft. of torque, it will undergo several modifications in order to be installed longitudinally in the C-Class' engine bay and might benefit from a slight bump in oomph. Power will be sent to the rear wheels via either a manual or an automatic gearbox.

The Renault-sourced engine will only be found under the hood of entry-level C-Classes, and more expensive oil-burners will gain larger engines developed in-house.

An official announcement about the engine swap between Daimler and Renault-Nissan will be made over the next couple of days. Whether or not the Renault four-banger will equip U.S.-spec cars is up in the air.

In Europe, Renault already provides Mercedes with the 1.5-liter dCi mill that is found under the hood of diesel-burning CLA-Class and A-Class models.

Photo by Ronan Glon.