vic viper

I didnt realize this until I last year visited the plant in Stuttgart Germany, I saw a white SL (230 model) with US side markers badged with "SL 550" on the lid
I asked why it said 550 on the trunk because I knew it was the regular OM273 (500) engine in it.
The person I asked said that some US-models are "rebadged" to make the appearance of a larger engine

Same thing with the W204 with the EU spec C280 engine (OM272), in the US this is called C300.

What is the reason for doing this?

raceway

americans always like something big. LOL

C300Sport

Not sure about all MB models but the US spec C300 is a 3.0 liter engine. From what I understood, the European C280 is a 3.0 as well.

Germancar1

Its very simple, the U.S. models are badged to reflect the true size of the engine. All 550 models use a 5.5L V8 and are thus named 550 here in the U.S. The C and SLK models are all accurate also in their badges also. SLK300, C300, C350 etc reflect the real size of their V6 engines.

The only place where Mercedes isn't quite accurate is with the GL450 (really a 4.7L V8) and the 600 model (really a 5.5L V12). Also the "63" AMG cars really use a 6.2L V8 and lastly the "65" AMG cars really use a 6.0L V12. At least thats all I can think of right now.


I can't believe someone from the factory would tell you something like that, they were either joking or shockingly clueless.


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micropower99

Well the C300 is a 3 Liter engine, so umm that would make sense... lol Why would a 3 liter be called 280?

Caperone

Why the 2.5 is called 230 in Canada?

Krytech

Could be similar to the reason some European cars are debadged all together, some people hate people that have nicer cars than them. Or maybe is has a physiological reason if people think it has a smaller engine since they pay taxes based on size of the engine?

FrankW

there's not entirely true. lol

C230k with the M271 was a 1.8L, C230 with the M272 is a 2.5L, C240 was a 2.6L, etc.

truth of the matter is MBUSA or Canada badge their cars according to what's most recognized and how they sound compare to competition or compare with previous generations.

RLE

SL 230? There is no such model. That would be a 2.3 liter four cylinder. There may be an SLK 230 but it doesn't come here.

Your engine descriptions are also wrong. First, you mention OM 272 and OM273. OM means Oel motor which is diesel. All MB diesels are OM this and that.

And the engine used in the Euro C280 and the North American C300 are the same 3-liter engines, thus C300 is correct. MB has decided that the number should match the displacement like it used to.

Remember, the W201 C240 used a 2.6 engine which made no sense at all.

Germancar1

Maybe I should have said currently because MBUSA certainly does badge their cars according to actual engine size except for the exceptions I listed earlier: GL450, 600s, and the AMG 63 and 65 cars. A GL470 would be too similar to the Lexus GX470 so Mercedes opted for GL450.

You're talking about the previous C-Class, not the current one.


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Germancar1

He meant the internal chassis designation for the current SL, which is R230.


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vic viper

Exactly, as Germancar1 was saying I was reffering to the "baumuster" (build designation) of that model, the pre 230 SL is called 129

And regarding the engines, OM means Otto Motor, and no, the diesel engines always have a model designation number beginning with a 6.

The model designations according to the engine displacement is now more off than ever,
the new Blue Efficiency 250 CDI engine is 2.1 litres
The new Blue efficiecy 180 Kompressor is 1.6 litres , the older 200 Kompressor is 1.8L ,
the V6 enginge in the W204 C 230 is 2.5L and so on..

Germancar1

Not sure why Mercedes is doing that over there, but MBUSA has decided to call it what it is, except for the few exceptions noted in my earlier post.

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Glyn M Ruck

Wrong! OM does NOT stand for Otto Motor - Gasoline engines are also Otto Cycle engines.

„OM“ steht für „Oel-Motor“ - Always has & always will in MB speak i.e. Diesel.

vic viper

Ok, this is news for me, I stand corrected

But the question remains, why are the US and to some extent Japan models renamed whilst the rest of the world has the same model designations?

Glyn M Ruck

It's purely a Marketing thing as FrankW states. They use designations that have the best name recognition in that market. It's like SA sells the C280 which is 2996cc. The name recognition goes right back to the W114 280 & 280E Compact & W108/109 280S & SE. Australia also change the names of a lot of vehicles sold there.

vic viper

While still on the subject, sometimes now and then we receive a US-imported vehicle and when a US and EU spec of the same model are standing next to each other its easy to notice the differences.
For example, the auto shift lever indicator has lights next to the selected gear on the US.
The US has some kind of soft padding below the steering wheel, knee protection?
The "return button" on the 204 next to the selector knob between the seats says "back" on US, on the EU vehicles there is an arrow.

I may be boring you, but I find it pretty interesting how some vehicles are adapted to its market.

Glyn M Ruck

Oh! absolutely - and the US vehicles have those awful orange repeater lights on the front fenders - US gas caps have warnings all over them. SA gas caps have nothing on them, Most US cars don't have full leather & it goes on & on.

US gas cap:

RLE

Discounted, like the Canadian Dollar

Germancar1

I already answered the question. MBUSA has decided to name the cars as close to actual engine size as possible with the exceptions noted above. The 550, 350, 300, etc models in the U.S. all correct when it comes to engine size.

500 is still used in Europe on V8 models because "500" carries more weight than 550. Just like with the V12 cars, "600" carries more weight/prestige all over the world no matter what size the V12 actually is.

The current U.S. model designations are true and accurate except for GL450, the 600, 63 and 65 cars.

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FrankW

LOL...why are you still stuck on "going by actual engine size" theory.

R171 SLK280 is still here just last year. facelifted = change in model badging -> SLK300.

It's all about marketing for the American market which is known for "when there's an update or facelift to the car we must change the badging so dumb people will know they're new." It doesn't bother the European market at all because they don't have a "my gun's bigger than your's" mentality.

it's like this thread on benzworld that one guy who knows nothing about MBs thinks someone was selling a FAKE 2001 S55 AMG because it didn't look like the newer S55 with the quad exhaust and M113K. LMAO.

doesn't matter where it is. they're all about marketing.

Germancar1

Because it was mentioned in an interview with the head of MBUSA. He went on to say how they would be correcting this because the designations didn't make any sense anymore. It isn't just marketing if the badge actually matches the real engine size. You got it backwards. It is marketing in Europe by calling a S550 the S500 because "500" is more "prestigious". The U.S. market actually gets the correct badge.

Traditionally a Mercedes was almost always designated by its engine size so that is MBUSA is trying to back too. If anything Europeans are the one being "marketed" to by calling what is really a S550, a S500 in Europe because it sounds better or is more well known.

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whkento

I concur. I have seen a lot of 'Avantgarde' benzes over here, but not in the states. Mine is a C300 Avantgarde Sport, with a bunch of AMG-based options. I also have a CLK200K Avantgarde. Do they even have these over in North America? The car buyers in Japan apparently really like the Avantgarde models. I've seen 'em on A-, B-, C-, E-, and CLK-classes and they may be offered in the other classes as well.

FrankW

see that's where the Americanized marketing thinking jumps in. In Europe majority of the people actually prefer the cars without any badges. It doesn't matter what the car actually is once they debadged it it's all the same. Also they've called the S500 for ages. In the US they're changed to S550 because of bragging rights. When the S-class owners goes "it's an S550" majority of the people will know it's the "new" S-class instead of thinking which S500 it is. Of course you'll never hear their company PR telling you this. Instead they'll tell you something you want to hear such as "we want to bring history back"

you are right about Mercedes through company history has always reflected upon the engine sizes for badge numbers. however in recent years...people don't care anymore not even Mercedes-Benz themselves. hense the 5.5L V12 in the 600, 6.2L in the 63 and 5.4L in the 55.

Glyn M Ruck

You don't actually believe an MBUSA Exec do you? When faced with a question like that I might say similar.

He's hardly going to say that "Our marketing research shows us that in a country where 90% of people can't set the clock on their VCR, Tivo or whatever & oneupmanship rules we decided it prudent ----"

Get real - of course it's marketing driven.