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Mercedes is considering a four-cylinder C-Class for the U.S. market due to rising fuel costs here and further pressure for low emissions. The company is already testing a 1.4-liter engine.

In Europe Mercedes already sells a four-cylinder version of the C-Class sedan: the entry-level C180 Kompressor powered by a supercharged 1.8-liter inline four-cylinder engine rated at 154 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque. But we can not tell yet if the 1.4-liter under development would replace the European 1.8-liter, or if it would be reserved for the U.S. market only.

A four cylinder version will be priced well under the automatic V6-powered C300, which carries a base price of $33,040.