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MERCEDESBENZC-Klasse-W203--medium-1417 3small
Mercedes-Benz W203
Mercedes-Benz
aka Type aka here, not up there
Production 2000-2007
Class Entry-Level Luxury
Body Style 4 dr Sedan
5 dr Wagon
2 dr Liftback
Length length - type here
Width Width - type here
Height Height - type here
Wheelbase wheelbase - type here
Weight Weight - you get the point
Transmission transmission + drive
Engine engine
Power N/A hp @ N/A rpm
N/A lb-ft of torque @ N/A rpm
Similar Audi A4
BMW 3 Series
Designer Designer (lead designer if it was a team effort)

The Mercedes-Benz C-Class (W203) is an automobile which was produced by DaimlerChrysler from July 2000 to December 2006.

Design work on the W203 C-Class began in mid-1994, with the final design being approved in December 1995 by the executive board. Design patents were filed on 20 April 1998 and 4 March 1999.[4][5] Testing began in 1997, with development concluding in 2000. The second generation C-Class was introduced in March 2000. The sedan debuted with a range of inline-four and V6 petrol engines and inline-four and -five diesels. Most of the engines were carried over from the W202, but the C 320 was exclusive, offering 160 kW (218 PS). The diesels now featured common rail direct fuel injection and variable geometry turbochargers. Six-speed manual gearboxes were now standard for the entire range, except the C 320. Notably, for the first time, the number designations were no longer equivalent to the engine displacement, more specifically in the C 200 (1.8-litre), C 240 (2.6-litre) and C 200 CDI (2.2-litre).

Mercedes-Benz debuted a coupe variant in October 2000, labelled the C-Class SportCoupé and given the model designation CL203 (see below). The third body variant, a station wagon codenamed S203 arrived in 2001. Then in 2002 for the 2003 model year, a new family of supercharged four cylinder engines, dubbed M271, debuted for the entire range C-Class range. All of them used the same 1.8-litre engine, with different designations according to horsepower levels, including a version powered by natural gas. The C 230 Kompressor variant sported 142 kW (190 hp).[6][7] The newer 1.8-litre was less powerful but smoother and more efficient than the older 2.3-litre engine (141 kW (192 PS) compared to 142 kW (193 PS). For the C 240 and C 320, 4MATIC four-wheel drive versions were also offered in addition to rear-wheel drive.

Along with the C-Class Estate (wagon), the SportCoupé was discontinued in Canada and the United States after the 2005 model year. The SportCoupé continued on sale in other markets until 2008. From October 2000 until 2007, a total of 230,000 SportCoupé were built in the Bremen factory and in Brazil.

As of 20 Sep 2006, over two million C-Class vehicles (including sedan, station wagon and SportCoupé) had been sold since March 2000, with 1.4 million sedans since May 2000, 330,000 wagons since spring 2001, 283,000 Sports Coupé since spring 2001. Over 30 percent of total sales occurred in Germany, and over 20 percent in the United States.[9] The last W203 C-Class sedan was produced on 14 December 2006 at the Sindelfingen plant.[

C 32[]

After the performance of the AMG models in the previous generation, Mercedes-Benz attempted to increase sales among high-end buyers by introducing two different AMG versions of the new model in 2001. The C 32 AMG scaled back down to a 3.2-litre V6 engine, to match the E46 M3 displacement and improve weight distribution, but it required a twin-screw type supercharger (manufactured by IHI) to reach 260 kW (354 PS) and 450 N·m (332 lb·ft). Like its predecessors, it used a five-speed automatic, helping it to complete a 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) sprint within 5.2 seconds.[11] The C 32 AMG Sportcoupe was only offered by request as an AMG STUDIO order. This car was produced only in 2003 and the production numbers are unknown. The C 32 was mainly sold as a sedan. However, a limited run of C 32 station wagons were made for some markets.

C 30 CDI[]

Another version was the C 30 CDI AMG, using a 3.0-litre five-cylinder diesel engine, capable of 170 kW (231 PS) and 540 N·m (398 lb·ft). Like the C 32, it was available in all three body styles, but this diesel model did not reach sales expectations and was retired in 2004. The car's exterior resembled that of the C 32 AMG. This was the only diesel AMG produced.

C 55[]

Along with the mid-generation refresh of the C-Class in 2005, the C 32 AMG was also replaced, giving way to a new 5.4-litre naturally aspirated V8-powered C 55 AMG. This was an evolution of the V8 engine found in the previous E-Class, with power raised to 270 kW (367 PS) and torque climbing to 510 N·m (376 lb·ft). The C 55 AMG uses a V8 from the same engine family as the W202 generation C 43 AMG. Though maximum speed is still limited to 250 km/h (155 mph), the 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) time has dropped to 4.7 seconds.[12] Unlike the less-powerful V6s in the rest of the Mercedes-Benz lineup, the C 55 AMG continued to use the five-speed automatic with AMG Speedshift. The C 55 shares its longer front end design with the CLK 55 AMG to accommodate the large 5.4-litre engine. The C 55 AMG is the only AMG model to feature different structure than its base Mercedes platform. The C 55 was the first AMG C-Class to feature quad exhaust outlets and an external differential cooler. The Nürburgring Nordschleife lap time seen on List of Nürburgring Nordschleife lap times for the C 55 AMG is 8:22 compared to 8:37 for the C 32 AMG mainly due to the revised suspension and extra torque. The C 55 was mainly sold as a sedan with a portion of wagons being sold in European markets.

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