MERCEDES-Benz will take the wraps off its all-new C-class Coupe and a heavily revised 4x4 G-class at the Paris Motor Show at the end of the month. The four-seater, two-door sports car will go on sale here next spring with the choice of three engines, while the off-roader will be available from May 2001 with a V8 common rail diesel and two petrol units.

About 18mm shorter than the saloon on which it is based, the Coupe features fold-down rear seats to create a compact estate with up to 1,100 litres of luggage space accessible through a lift-back hatch.

Petrol power options are all four-cylinder - the 2.3-litre 197bhp Kompressor, a supercharged 2.0-litre 163bhp unit, and a 2.0-litre 129bhp engine from the C180. The Coupe will also be offered with a 2.2-litre CDI common rail diesel engine, developing 143bhp. Prices and full specification will be announced closer to launch, but among the options will be a panoramic sliding glass roof - a third larger than a conventional sliding roof.

Design and engineering in G-class, which made its debut more than 20 years ago as the G-Wagen, have been upgraded. Its 4.0-litre diesel engine is the world's most powerful oil-burner found in a car. The 400CDI V8 is the same as that available in S-class and develops 250bhp. G-class can also be specified with a 296bhp V8 5.0-litre petrol engine and G320 215bhp V6 petrol unit.