How do you feel about the W204 being assembled in South Africa?
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,878
Likes: 8
From: five oh two
2008 W204 Sport
How do you feel about the W204 being assembled in South Africa?
Do you feel it is still truly a Mercedes-Benz, or do you feel a bit of that has been taken away and lost some of its "German" roots? The build quality of this car is great and definitely several steps above my Infiniti, but I wish it was more official and made in the fatherland. What are your thoughts? Discuss.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,113
Likes: 57
From: Southwest USA
Another round of ICE
Do you feel it is still truly a Mercedes-Benz, or do you feel a bit of that has been taken away and lost some of its "German" roots? The build quality of this car is great and definitely several steps above my Infiniti, but I wish it was more official and made in the fatherland. What are your thoughts? Discuss.
Handled:
https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...u-s-built.html
Super Member
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 615
Likes: 0
2017 991.2 Turbo PDK 2017 C63S Coupe Ceramic Brakes 2015 CLS63S AMG Full House
South Africa has been building (SKD) Mercedes Benz products for more than 40 years now.
The W116 early stages of the S-Class were built here. (SKD) Semi Knocked Down.
We still have our 1973 W116 S-Slass, 280S, white with dark brown leather interior, straight walnut hand polished and man does she have chrome everywhere.
Still runs like new, everything works and best of all has done only 115880kms.
Workmanship is all done under strict German inspection, ''Just Like Die Vader Land'' would want it to be done.
AMG models and some other models are all only built in Germany.
The W116 early stages of the S-Class were built here. (SKD) Semi Knocked Down.
We still have our 1973 W116 S-Slass, 280S, white with dark brown leather interior, straight walnut hand polished and man does she have chrome everywhere.
Still runs like new, everything works and best of all has done only 115880kms.
Workmanship is all done under strict German inspection, ''Just Like Die Vader Land'' would want it to be done.
AMG models and some other models are all only built in Germany.
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,878
Likes: 8
From: five oh two
2008 W204 Sport
Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 171
Likes: 1
2008 C350
I think the notion that it's any less "true MB" is absurd.
Foremost the issue is, sure, we probably all believe in the superiority of German engineering. That's why we own German cars. But engineering doesn't happen on the plant floor. Assembly happens. A person, aided by robots, performs a specific assembly action over and over.
Do you think that there's any difference between a German line workers ability to do this vs an American or S. African?
And about your "makes it even worse" comment re the 205 being assembled in America... By many standards american assembled cars have the lowest defect rates in the industry. And, for that matter, German cars notoriously some of the highest.
Foremost the issue is, sure, we probably all believe in the superiority of German engineering. That's why we own German cars. But engineering doesn't happen on the plant floor. Assembly happens. A person, aided by robots, performs a specific assembly action over and over.
Do you think that there's any difference between a German line workers ability to do this vs an American or S. African?
And about your "makes it even worse" comment re the 205 being assembled in America... By many standards american assembled cars have the lowest defect rates in the industry. And, for that matter, German cars notoriously some of the highest.
Trending Topics
Super Member
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 615
Likes: 0
2017 991.2 Turbo PDK 2017 C63S Coupe Ceramic Brakes 2015 CLS63S AMG Full House
I think the notion that it's any less "true MB" is absurd.
Foremost the issue is, sure, we probably all believe in the superiority of German engineering. That's why we own German cars. But engineering doesn't happen on the plant floor. Assembly happens. A person, aided by robots, performs a specific assembly action over and over.
Do you think that there's any difference between a German line workers ability to do this vs an American or S. African?
And about your "makes it even worse" comment re the 205 being assembled in America... By many standards american assembled cars have the lowest defect rates in the industry. And, for that matter, German cars notoriously some of the highest.
Foremost the issue is, sure, we probably all believe in the superiority of German engineering. That's why we own German cars. But engineering doesn't happen on the plant floor. Assembly happens. A person, aided by robots, performs a specific assembly action over and over.
Do you think that there's any difference between a German line workers ability to do this vs an American or S. African?
And about your "makes it even worse" comment re the 205 being assembled in America... By many standards american assembled cars have the lowest defect rates in the industry. And, for that matter, German cars notoriously some of the highest.
MB World Stories
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Verdad Gallardo
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine
Verdad Gallardo
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction
Verdad Gallardo
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping
Verdad Gallardo
10 Most Reliable Mercedes-Benz Models You Can Buy Used
Verdad Gallardo
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 3,986
Likes: 6
From: SEATTLE WASHINGTON USA
'08 C300 Lux Barolo Red Beige Leather P2 MM 18" wheels '84 944
Built where?
Do you feel it is still truly a Mercedes-Benz, or do you feel a bit of that has been taken away and lost some of its "German" roots? The build quality of this car is great and definitely several steps above my Infiniti, but I wish it was more official and made in the fatherland. What are your thoughts? Discuss.
Even VW built Rabbits in Pennsylvania long ago.
Plus all the Asian label cars built here for years.
Did you know that when Porsche Boxster orders exceeded what could be built in Germany, thousands of them were built in Finland? And they turned out to have better paint.
I would hope that building the W205 in Alabama will help keep the costs down for a while and I'm not worried about quality since that's engineered in.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,113
Likes: 57
From: Southwest USA
Another round of ICE
Member
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 115
Likes: 0
From: Woodland Hills, CA
2011 C350 Sport
Just pretend your car is German built! I have a SA w204 and the fit and finish is perfect (although my car is less than a month old).
MBZ has very strict quality standards across all their plants from what I've read.
MBZ has very strict quality standards across all their plants from what I've read.
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,878
Likes: 8
From: five oh two
2008 W204 Sport
I guess. But like i said, there is NOTHING wrong with them being built else where, it just makes it "more" official to me i guess, but in theory it isnt that big of a deal. Thanks for the responses guys!
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 285
Likes: 1
2008 C350 Sport
SA is one of the best plants in the world, look it up.
Fit and finish on my car is near perfect, built in SA.
Super Member
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 964
Likes: 2
\
^^ Posts so I don't have to. I was skeptical about using a South Africa plant as well, but apparently it's a very competent country in terms of auto manufacturing, with very high-tech plants, high standards, a proficient workforce, and numerous awards. Mine was made in Germany, but I wouldn't fault anyone for having a SA assembled Benz.
Super Moderator
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 19,942
Likes: 192
From: Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...light=SA+plant
Regarding CKD/SKD comments above - That was true many, many years back. Local content is approx 47% by weight now.
Everything is built to "Deutsche Normen"
Regarding CKD/SKD comments above - That was true many, many years back. Local content is approx 47% by weight now.
Everything is built to "Deutsche Normen"
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 2,108
Likes: 7
From: Dix Hills, New York
2012 C250 Coupe
I actually think its stupid to have them built in another country and ship them here... I wouldn't mind if they were built in the U.S. at all... Put some needing americans to work, less pollutions being put into the atmosphere with less transportation needs, and you can get the cars MUCH quicker. PLUS, when you need a part for repair you don't have to wait for weeks for it to come from Germany...
