Alesi555

Just thought I would share some information with all of you. Effective in January MB-Canada will be selling a new variant of the C-Class sedan. Designaton hasn't been decided yet but the main difference is it will come with the 1.8 Kompressor engine. Supposedely this is aimed at the sport-minded buyer and should come standard with EVO package and other sport-inspied touches. See if your dealer can provide you with any more info.

zhaoyi

i talked to my dealer 2 weeks ago!
he confirmed the new C320 coupe will be available in Jan 03 plus the new model you mentioned. but it's not 1.8 kompressor, it's 2.3 kompressor which was in 02 C-coupe. it will be C240's size....but not sure if it's 2 door or 4 door.

Mike T.

Excellent! It's what I've been howling for since the new C first came out. The 4 cylinder engine is the main reason we got the C Sportcoupé. Funny thing is, I asked my salesman (in Victoria) about this a few weeks ago and he said a 4 cylinder sedan would not be coming...

David N.

Very interesting. Anyone know the price of the new model?

When will mb canada update their web site?

Alesi555

I can guarantee the car will indeed be coming in early 2003. It will be a four door sedan and it will have the 1.8 litre supercharged engine from the current C-Coupe. As this is an engine that will appeal to a sportier customer, it is planned to come with many sport appearance touches as standard. As for pricing, my guess would be it will slide nicely inbetween the current C240 Classic and the C240 Elegance. Mated to a nice 6-speed transmission this will be a wonderful setup!!

Mike T.

I wonder if you could contact your dealer again and get a little more information. For example, is the car that's arriving in 2003 the C 200 K? That version has 163 HP (DIN) in Europe. It could hardly be considered to be more sporting than the C 240, which is up about 10 HP (US-SAE) on that.

Or would it be a Canada-only version, equipped with the 189 HP C Sportcopé engine? I find it hard to believe that M-B would make a special-engined version, only for Canada. The C 230 K engine was never available in a W 203 sedan.

The matter of charging substantially more than the base C 240 Classic for a 1.8 powered car, even if it has 20 HP more than the 240, seems a trifle odd. Even with an AMG body kit, they would probably have a hard time convincing someone that a 1.8 Benz is worth in the mid-40's CDN, no matter how tarted up it is.

I think the far more likely scenario is that they'd bring in the C 200 K sedan (163 HP DIN) in its Classic trim as the new "loss leader" of the C sedans, and price it maybe $1500-2000 higher than the C 230 K, i.e. $36,500 or maybe even $35,950.

By the way, the starting price of the C 240 Classic has been cranked up another $1400 according to a newspaper ad I saw today, now it's just a tick under $40,000. D'oh!

Alesi555

Mike,

It will indeed be the 1.8 Kompressor engine from the C-Coupe with 189 HP. It you look on the worldwide site for Mercedes-Benz you willl see ths existence of such a car. As for pricing it is still a secret but I am still betting it slides in nicely between the C240 Classic and Elegance. How do you justify the extra cost....the extra horsepower as well as all the sport-inspired goodies that will come standard with the car.

604_kpEscoba

man that makes me mad i got stuck with the 168 i really could use that 189 HP...

Lynn

I just looked at the international web site and cannot find such a car. C180k and C200k sedans, yes. C230k sedans, no. Could you post the link where you found the C230k sedan?

viper

EIther this person is a troll or his dealer is the only one in Canada that has this informaton. I spoke to my dealer and he checked it out and laughed. The C320 coupe has not been positively confirmed yet. It is being looked at strongly and customer interest is being sought at the dealership level. That does not mean it will happen though. As for the new sedan no one has heard about this.

Mike T.

You're right Viper, this claim is sounding a bit like fusty dog's bollocks at the moment.

Of course there is, as I wrote above, no such thing as a C 230 K sedan internationally. However, I like the idea. Hey, even a C 200 K sedan being available in Canada would be GREAT news so far as I'm concerned.

But the alleged marketing strategy of offering only a fully tarted up 1.8 sedan for something between a C 240 Classic and C 240 Elegance strikes me as stupid, however. What M-B really needs is the cheaper, more fuel efficient (and faster than the C 240, in C 200 K form) 1.8-powered sedan in this country.

So Alesi555, we're still waiting for you to deliver....


PS: Is Jean Alesi really sponsored by BAT these days?!?

Alesi555

Well Gentlemen,

It will always be impossible to make the Doubting Thomases believers. Each is fully entitiled to their own opinion. My sources are not dealers and I can guarnatee that both the C320 Coupe and a 1.8 litre C-Class will be on the way in early 2003. Oddly enough, both of you deal with independant dealers and are not in major MB markets. Why not take the time and call one of the factory (Mercedes-Benz owned) stores in Vancouver for Mike or Toronto for viper and see what their response is for these two cars. I can pretty much guarantee they will not only have information they will be happy to take a deposit and fill your order. Now I don't want to get into name calling here as that is incredibly immature but I am incredibly confident that both of these cars will be available come January 2003. Designated the C320 Coupe and the C230 Sedan.

Hugedrive

Well, well, well...

My dealer in montreal, Silver Star Montreal, which is owned by Mercedes-benz, confirmed the arrival of the c320! Don't know about the c230K sedans though!

Alesi555

Hugedrive,

I don't believe Silver Star Montreal is owned by Mercedes-Benz. From my understanding MB Canada has opened a factory owned store in Montreal (West Island I believe) but Silver Star is a private dealership.

Hugedrive

oups! you are right! sorry about that!

Alesi555

Hugedrive,

No problem With all the new store openings it is hard to keep track. I see you have ordered the C320 Coupe, that is going to be an incredibly impressive setup. Are you planning on getting the auto or manual. That car in manual will be a killer, congrats.

Hugedrive

thanks for your comments! Of course my C320 coupe will be a manual. that's a no brainer!

viper

Nope. My answer still stands. I have insider information too.
Its still a strong mayber for the C320 coupe and a never heard of it for the sedan. One of us has bad information. We will just have to wait it out and see.

Drew_ML

Guys,

I'm afraid that it looks like Alesi correct. I have heard from my MBCA press contacts just very recently, that a C230 sedan with the C230 coupe's 1.8 engine will be available (apparently exclusively) for the Canadian market for sometime around Feb production. Expect the sport pkg (lowered and slightly firmer) suspension, the coupe's Evo package wheels, as well as the sport pkg seats and aluminum trim. . As for the tranny, it will be available with a manual or the auto.

So Mike, dropping the SMART order (looks like only the diesel will make it over, if at all) and going for the sedan? Getting rid of the 405? :p

Mike T.

Why are you AFRAID of telling us THAT? It's GOOD news!

However, the idea of only making it available in tarted up form is a mistake. They should offer it in a Classic sedan form as well. However, I know what's going on here. The mass of the Sportcoupé approximates that of the sedan and, as a result, the engine from the former can be fitted to the latter without requiring re-certification with Transport Canada. To bring the 163 HP version over would on the other hand require a complete re-certification process. So M-B Canada is "stuck" offering the 189 HP engine in the sedan. They couldn't possibly sell it for less than the C 240, which has 21 fewer horses and 20 Nm less torque. The C 200 K would be a better way to go.

I desire and could afford a C 200 K, but I would balk at $43,000 for a C 230 K, either in Sportcoupé or sedan form. Even if I could spend that on a C 230 K sedan right now, which I can't, I wouldn't. (how do you like that sentence?)

Quote:

So Mike, dropping the SMART order (looks like only the diesel will make it over, if at all) and going for the sedan?

With respect to smart (all lower case, BTW), Andreas Renschler at the Paris Auto Show, indicated in an Automotive News Europe interview that smart will be in BOTH the US and Canadian car markets by 2004/2005, with at least three, and probably four models:
1) smart roadster and roadster-coupé
2) smart 4 seater
3) smart 4WD, based on 4 seater

The former will be imported from France and the latter two will be built in Brazil for the North American market.

Even this month's Automobile magazine has a note about the upcoming smart invasion. How come you're so behind the times?

The original smart is rumoured to be on its way too. In fact, the ur-smart with bumpers (!!) is supposed to make an appearance at the Detroit Auto Show in January, alongside the roadster. We shall see...

I DO hope that the smart cdi diesel will be brought over here, because it's the most innovative of the smarts. I heard the same diesel rumour that you evidently did, from my dealer on the Island. The cdi smart is a 3 litre per 100 km car. One owner in the UK on a message board like this reported 2.9 L/100 km on a 70 MPH motorway trip. That's 81 MPG US, not bad.

I was originally thinking of a smart cabriolet, gas or diesel, but a roadster in metallic blue is looking good right now too.

Quote:

Getting rid of the 405? :p

No thanks Drew, I don't think I'd ever sell the 405. Why should I? It's more reliable than many of the Mercedes I read about on this board

The 405 has averaged 8.3 L/100 km over its 280,000 km (174,000 miles) of service (yes, I have the records to prove it) and it shows no signs of appreciable wear, certainly not in proportion to its age (14.5 years). I'll still be driving it at 400,000 km I think, and maybe beyond...the new Lieutenant Columbo...

I am, however, open to reasonable offers, starting at $10,000 CDN

Drew_ML

I disagree. Doing so would downgrade the image of the company. As is, I'm already seeing some rather non-traditional buyers with non-traditional behaviours and attitudes and I'm not tremendously impressed with it (let's leave it at that, at least in public ).



No silly, I'm referring to the original SMART. From what I have heard, the gasoline version will very likely not make it here due to the emissions equipment. Yes, I know about the new Smarts. I get those press releases as well you know

If reliability is the schtick with with one measures a car, we'd all be driving Toyota Camrys right now.

Did your 405 come with the driver's side airbag, BTW? IIRC, it was an option back then?

Mike T.

The problem is that one's access to money does not necessarily correlate to one's dignity. Some of the most crass people in the world spend WAY more than $100K on a car. I see it every day. No, I say, bring in the E Class taxis with vinyl seats. I'd buy one



That would be curious. The smart engine meets EU-3 emissions requirements, which easily are the equal of the US/CDN standards. Furthermore, in the early spring, the gasoline smarts will ALL be getting the 698 cc engine of the roadster (woo-hoo, 99 more cc), and all will meet the EU-4 emission standards. On the other hand, the cdi diesel requires low-sulphur fuel (which we don't have much of) and produces more NOx and particulates than are allowed in some jurisdictions. Still, I'd love to have a smart cdi cabriolet.



Nope, old French cars Well, according to my testimonial In the days of the 404 this was the truth, actually...

Nope, not an option. In the USA, the 405 DL and S models had the ridiculous motorised seat belts. The MI16 did not. Thankfully these were not part of the Canadian specification. Only the second-generation 405, from 1993 on, had a driver's side airbag. But, since Peugeot left North America for greener pastures in 1991, we never got that car here. Though I did drive one in Europe for a month...nice car....

Mike T.

Well, the time has come for me to ever so humbly apologise to Alesi555 for the rude bollocking I gave to him (her?) over the C 230 K sedan. It now appears that Alesi555 was right all along and the C 230 K sedan is real.

I still will be curious to see how it's priced in Canada - the US price looks interesting - maybe it'll be close to the C 240 Classic...?

Mummmph, this crow tastes REAL good

avro

I disagree with this statment - I belive that the C240 MRSP is still 38500 Cdn

David N.

Straight from the MB Canada Website:

C240 Classic = $38,450 (manual transmission)

http://www.mercedes-benz.ca/index2.cfm?LNG=E