klt599

Is the clk350 coming if so when?
any information woould be greatly appreciated...


thanks

ABSLTE

I'm in Australia and my dealer said that the 350 engine is only available in the S and M classes. Apparently, for the C, CLK and E classes, the 320 will be retained.

Things may be different in other places in the world. For instance, I believe from posts on these forums that the C class coupe is available in 320 form - in Australia we only have the 4 cylinder models.

northbenz

On the E Class thread a Canadian poster stated that his dealer told him that the 2004 E Class would come with the 350 rather than the 320 engine. In my own experience Canadian dealers have generally been more truthful, or should I say accurate, than US dealers as to new product changes. ( I suspect more Canadian customers order their vehicles ahead and there is less incentive to push off of the lot large inventories of soon to be out dated models. Alternatively it may just be that Mercedes of Canada has a more open philosophy about passing on information than MBUSA?) In any event the product mix for Canada and the US is generally the same since both are under the umbrella of the North American market so if Canada gets the 350 past experience says the US will also.
As to the CLK, however, who knows? Make a few calls to our neighbors up north and you may well have an answer.

rod_cal

The 350 is already out on the M. I saw the ad on TV the other day. That's in the US. In Autoweek the magazine, I saw a picture of the new CLK cabriolet and they're saying its a 320. I think eventually they'll offer the 350 but probably not until '05 model year.

AMG4life

what the hell is mb thinking!!! the 320 modles are already underpowered and losing to other competitors.

mbtech208

If anything needed a power boost, it was the ML320. All the other cars with the 320 engine have sufficient power for what they are, I think.

klt599

So everyone says no clk350 til 05?

anymore comments insights would be appreciated

Tezta

I was also told that the 350 engine would be introduced for the face-lift model.

klt599

when id the clk facelift slated for?

Tezta

My guess is for MY 2005 or 2006.

britton

a facelift that soon the 209 just came out?

Tezta

yeah.. The W220 came out as a 2000 model and the facelift is a 2003 model, the W215 came out in 2001 and also recieved a facelift for this year.

MBcoupe forever

I have no solid foundation on below statement, so take it with a grain of salt.

I think a read somewhere that there will never be a 350 CLK. MB is working on a new generation 4-valve engines, and when available it will come in 3.0 L (i think) for the CLK. It was a post on what model nomenclature MB copyprotected, and there was no 350CLK but a 300CLK or something like that.

This makes sense to me as it makes absolutely no sense to introduce the 320 in 2003 to change it to the same engine but a 3.7 L one or two years after introduction when that very engine was already available in 2003. I heard people speculating in clearing inventory of 3.2L, but i surely don't buy that. If MB had such excess inventories they would go out of business.

Cheers

Cheers

MB-JIM

I believe the list for future CLK Models was posted a while back and includes the following:
CLK - 250; 270; 300; 350 and 450
From what I have read, the direct gas injection engines should be here for 2006 models.
MB apparently has told the dealers that the E & CLK will not switch to the 350 but they may be saying that so people won't back off in pushing the 320 engine versions.
If I was betting on it I would say that at least for the US, MB will put the 3.7L engine in 2004 models. When you can get a Honda with 240 HP, why would MB not use the 350 engine? It certainly can't be a cost consideration since I would think that the 320 and 350 engines would cost the same to build.

MBcoupe forever

I agree that there should be no cost difference between the 3.2L and the 3.7L, and also that the 320 lack HP to competition, even much cheaper cars ...... but why didn't MB put in the 3.7L from the beginning when it was available. Given all the official press material on the convertable and it being a 3.2L for 2004, it surely looks like the 2004 will be 3.2L for the coupe too. I also doubt MB will have a 3.7L in US and 3.2L eslewhere.

But why wait all to 2005 (or later) to put it in. That doesn't make any sense either, when they should have put it in right from the beginning.

Well, i guess future will tell.

Cheers