Saturday, 3 December 2011

Mercedes-Benz


History

Main articles: Karl Benz, Bertha Benz, Gottlieb Daimler, Emil Jellinek, Wilhelm Maybach, and Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft
Mercedes-Benz S-class
Mercedes-Benz traces its origins to Karl Benz's creation of the first petrol-powered car, the Benz Patent Motorwagen, patented in January 1886[1] and Gottlieb Daimler and engineer Wilhelm Maybach's conversion of a stagecoach by the addition of a petrol engine later that year. TheMercedes automobile was first marketed in 1901 by Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft. The first Mercedes-Benz brand name vehicles were produced in 1926, following the merger of Karl Benz's and Gottlieb Daimler's companies into the Daimler-Benz company.[1] Mercedes-Benz has introduced many technological and safety innovations that later became common in other vehicles.[2] Mercedes-Benz is one of the most well-known and established automotive brands in the world, and is also the world's oldest automotive brand still in existence today. For information relating to the famous three-pointed star, see under the title Daimler Motoren Gesellschaftincluding the merger into Daimler-Benz.

[edit]Subsidiaries and alliances

As part of the Daimler AG company, the Mercedes-Benz Cars division includes Mercedes-Benz, Smart and Maybach car production.[3]

[edit]Mercedes-Benz AMG

Mercedes-Benz AMG became a majority owned division of Mercedes-Benz in 1998.[4] The company was integrated into DaimlerChrysler in 1999,[5] and became Mercedes-Benz AMG beginning on 1 January 1999.[6]

[edit]Mercedes-Benz McLaren

Main article: Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
Between 2003 and 2009, Mercedes-Benz produced a limited-production sports car with McLaren Cars, an extension of the collaboration by which Mercedes engines are used by the Team McLaren-Mercedes Formula One racing team, which is part owned by Mercedes. McLaren ceased production of the SLR in 2009 and went on to develop its own car, the McLaren MP4-12C, launched in 2011.

[edit]Studebaker-Packard

In 1958, Mercedes-Benz entered into a distribution agreement with the Studebaker-Packard Corporation of South Bend, Indiana (USA), makers of Studebaker and Packard brand automobiles.[7] Under the deal, Studebaker would allow Mercedes-Benz access to its dealer network in the U.S., handle shipments of vehicles to the dealers, and in return, receive compensation for each car sold. Mercedes-Benz maintained an office within the Studebaker works in South Bend from 1958 to 1963, when Studebaker's U.S. operations ceased. Many U.S Studebaker dealers converted to Mercedes-Benz dealerships at that time.

[edit]Production

[edit]Factories

Besides its native Germany, Mercedes-Benz vehicles are also manufactured or assembled in:
  • Argentina (buses, trucks and the Sprinter van. The first Mercedes-Benz factory outside of Germany)[8]
  • Austria (G-Class)[9]
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Brazil[10] Manufacture the trucks, buses and the C-Class. Established in 1956. The A-Class (W168) was produced from 1999 to 2005 as well.
  • Canada
  • Egypt via Egyptian German Automotive Company
  • Hungary (construction of a new plant in the country announced on 18 June 2008, for the next generation A- and B-Class)[11][12]
  • India[13]
  • Indonesia[14]
  • Iran (Not since 2010[15])
  • Malaysia[16]
  • Mexico
  • Nigeria[17] (buses, trucks, utility motors and the Sprinter van)
  • Philippines
  • Russia (E-Class)
  • Spain, factory at Vitoria-Gasteiz,Mercedes-Benz Vito have been build there.
  • South Africa[18]
  • South Korea (Mercedes-Benz Musso and MB100 models manufactured by SsangYong Motor Company)
  • Thailand (assembly of C, E and S class vehicles by the Thonburi Group)[19]
  • Turkey[20]
  • United Kingdom—SLR sports car was built at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking. Brackley, Northamptonshire, is home to the Mercedes Grand Prix factory, and Brixworth, Northamptonshire is the location of Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines
  • United States The Mercedes-Benz M-Class Sport Utility, the R-Class Sport Tourer, and the full-sized GL-Class Luxury Sport Utility Vehicle are all built at the Mercedes-Benz production facility near Tuscaloosa, Alabama.[21]
  • Vietnam Passenger cars and commercial vehicles. Established in 1995[22]

[edit]Quality rankings

Since its inception, Mercedes-Benz had maintained a reputation for its quality and durability. Objective measures looking at passenger vehicles, such as J. D. Power surveys, demonstrated a downturn in reputation in these criteria in the late 1990s and early 2000s. By mid-2005, Mercedes temporarily returned to the industry average for initial quality, a measure of problems after the first 90 days of ownership, according to J.D. Power.[23] In J.D. Power's Initial Quality Study for the first quarter of 2007, Mercedes showed dramatic improvement by climbing from 25th to 5th place, surpassing quality leader Toyota, and earning several awards for its models.[24] For 2008, Mercedes-Benz's initial quality rating improved by yet another mark, to fourth place.[25] On top of this accolade, it also received the Platinum Plant Quality Award for its Mercedes’ Sindelfingen, Germany assembly plant.[25] In April 2011, Consumer Reports of the rates six of thirteen Mercedes-Benz models as "below average".[26] However, J.D. Power's 2011 US Initial Quality and Vehicle Dependability Studies both ranked Mercedes-Benz vehicles above average.[27][28]

[edit]Models

[edit]Current model range

Mercedes-Benz carries a full range of passenger, light commercial and heavy commercial equipment. Vehicles are manufactured in multiple countries worldwide. The Smart marque of city cars and Maybach luxury cars are also produced by Daimler AG.

[edit]Passenger cars

See also: List of Mercedes-Benz cars
The following passenger vehicles were in production in 2011:

[edit]Trucks

See also: List of Mercedes-Benz trucks
Mercedes-Benz Trucks is now part of the Daimler Trucks division, and includes companies that were part of the DaimlerChrysler merger. Gottlieb Daimler sold the world's first truck in 1886.[29]

[edit]Buses and vans

Main article: Mercedes-Benz buses
Mercedes-Benz Vario
Mercedes-Benz also produces buses, mainly for Europe and Asia. Mercedes-Benz produces a range of vans. The first factory to be built outside Germany after WWII was in Argentina. It originally built trucks, many of which were modified independently to buses, popularly namedColectivo. Today, it builds buses, trucks and the Sprinter van.

[edit]Significant models produced

Pope Benedict XVI in a Mercedes-BenzPopemobile in São Paulo, Brazil

[edit]Car nomenclature

Until 1994, Mercedes-Benz used an alphanumeric system for categorising their vehicles, consisting of a number sequence approximately equal to the engine's displacement in liters multiplied by 100, followed by an arrangement of alphabetical suffixes indicating body style and engine type.
  • "C" indicates a coupe or cabriolet body style.
  • "D" means the vehicle is equipped with a diesel engine.
  • "E" (for "Einspritzen") means the vehicle's engine is equipped with petrol fuel injection. In most cases (the 600 limousine being the exception), if neither "E" or "D" is present, the vehicle has a petrol engine with a carburettor.
  • "G" denotes the Geländewagen off-road vehicle.
  • "K" was used in the 1930s, indicating a supercharger ("Kompressor") equipped engine. One exception is the SSK, where K indicates "Kurz" (short-wheelbase).
  • "L" means "Leicht" (lightweight) for sporting models, and "Lang" (long-wheelbase) for sedan models.
  • "R" stands for "Rennen" (racing), used for racing cars (for example, the 300SLR).
  • "S" Sonderklasse "Special class" for flagship models.
  • "T" stands for "Touring" and indicates an estate (or station wagon) body style.
Some models in the 1950s also had lower-case letters (b, c, and d) to indicate specific trim levels.
For some models, the numeric part of the designation does not match the engine displacement. This was done to show the model's position in the model lineup independent of displacement or in the price matrix. For these vehicles, the actual displacement in liters is suffixed to the model designation. For example, the 190-class all had "190" for the numeric designation, regardless of the engine size, to indicate their entry-level status. Also, some older models (such as the SS and SSK) did not have a number as part of the designation at all.
For the 1994 model year, Mercedes-Benz revised the naming system. Models were divided into "classes" denoted by an arrangement of up to three letters (see "Current model range" above), followed by a three-digit (or two-digit for AMG models, with the number approximately equal to the displacement in liters multiplied by 10) number related to the engine size, as before. Variants of the same model (such as an estate version, or a vehicle with a diesel engine) are no longer given a separate letter. In most cases, the class designation is arbitrary. The SLR and SLS supercars do not carry a numerical designation.
As before, some models' numerical designations do not match the engine's actual displacement; in these cases the number shows the model's relative performance within the class. For example, the E250 CGI has greater performance than the E200 CGI because of different engine tuning, even though both have 1.8-litre engines. Recent AMG models use the "63" designation (in honor of the 1960s 6.3-litre M100engine) despite being equipped with either a 6.2-litre (M156) or 5.5-litre (M157) engine.
Some models carry further designations indicating special features:
  • "4MATIC" means the vehicle is equipped with all-wheel-drive.
  • "BlueTEC" indicates a diesel engine with selective catalytic reduction exhaust aftertreatment.
  • "BlueEFFICIENCY" indicates special fuel economy features (direct injection, start-stop system, aerodynamic modifications, etc.)
  • "CGI" (Charged Gasoline Injection) indicates direct gasoline injection.
  • "CDI" (Common-rail Direct Injection) indicates a common-rail diesel engine.
  • "Hybrid" indicates a gasoline- or diesel-electric hybrid.
  • "NGT" indicates a natural gas-fueled engine.
  • "Kompressor" indicates a supercharged engine.
  • "Turbo" indicates a turbocharged engine, only used on A-, B-,Е- and GLK-Class models.
All model designation badges can be deleted upon the customer's request.

[edit]Environmental record

Mercedes-Benz has developed multi concept cars with alternative propulsion, such as hybrid-electric, fully electric, and fuel-cell powertrains. At the 2007 Frankfurt motor show, Mercedes-Benz showed seven hybrid models, including the F700 concept car, powered by a hybrid-electric drivetrain featuring the DiesOtto engine.[30][31] In 2009, Mercedes-Benz displayed three BlueZERO concepts at the North American International Auto Show. Each car features a different powertrain - battery-electric, fuel-cell electric, and gasoline-electric hybrid.[32][33] In the same year, Mercedes also showed the Vision S500 PHEV concept with a 19 miles (31 km) all-electric range and CO2 emissions of 74 grams/km in the New European Driving Cycle.[34]
Since 2002, Mercedes-Benz has developed the F-Cell fuel cell vehicle. The current version, based on the B-Class, has a 250 mile range and is available for lease, with volume production scheduled to begin in 2014. Mercedes has also announced the SLS AMG E-Cell, a fully electric version of the SLS sports car, with deliveries expected in 2013.[35] The Mercedes-Benz S400 BlueHYBRID[36] was launched in 2009, and is the first production automotive hybrid in the world to use a lithium-ion battery.[37][38][39] In mid-2010, production commenced on the Vito E-Cell all-electric van. Mercedes expects 100 vehicles to be produced by the end of 2010 and a further 2000 by the end of 2011.[40]
In 2008, Mercedes-Benz announced that it would have a demonstration fleet of small electric cars in two to three years.[41] Mercedes-Benz and Smart are preparing for the widespread uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) in the UK by beginning the installation of recharging pointsacross their dealer networks. So far 20 Elektrobay recharging units, produced in the UK by Brighton-based Elektromotive, have been installed at seven locations as part of a pilot project, and further expansion of the initiative is planned later in 2010.[42]
In the United States, Mercedes-Benz was assessed a record US$30.66 million for their decision to not meet the federal corporate average fuel economy standard in 2009.[43] Certain Mercedes-Benz cars including the S550, and all AMG models sold in the United States also face an additional gas guzzler tax.[44] However, newer AMG models fitted with the M157 engine will not be subject to the gas-guzzler tax due to improved fuel economy,[45] and newer models powered by the M276 and M278 engines will have better fuel economy. In 2008, Mercedes also had the worst CO2 average of all major European manufacturers, ranking 14th out of 14 manufacturers.[46] Mercedes was also the worst manufacturer in 2007 and 2006 in terms of average CO2 levels, with 181 g and 188 g of CO2 emitted per km, respectively.[47]

[edit]Bicycles

Mercedes-Benz Accessories GmbH introduced three new bicycles in 2005,[48] and the range has developed to include the patent pending Foldingbike in 2007.[49] Other models include the Mercedes-Benz Carbon Bike,[50] Fitness Bike[51] and the Trailblazer Bike.[52]

[edit]Motorsport

Main article: Mercedes-Benz in motorsport
A DMG Mercedes Simplex 1906 in theDeutsches Museum
1957 Mercedes-Benz 300Sc Cabriolet
1959 Mercedes-Benz W120 Model 180
The two companies which were merged to form the Mercedes-Benz brand in 1926 had both already enjoyed success in the new sport of motor racing throughout their separate histories—both had entries in the very first automobile race Paris to Rouen 1894. This has continued, and throughout its long history, the company has been involved in a range of motorsport activities, including sports car racing and rallying. On several occasions Mercedes-Benz has withdrawn completely from motorsport for a significant period, notably in the late 1930s, and after the 1955 Le Mans disaster, where a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR collided with another car and killed more than 80 spectators. Stirling Moss and co-driver Denis Jenkinson made history by winning the 1955 Mille Miglia road race in Italy during a record-breaking drive with an average speed was almost 98 mph in a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR.[53]
Although there was some activity in the intervening years, it was not until 1987 that Mercedes-Benz returned to front line competition, returning to Le Mans, Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (DTM), and Formula One with Sauber. The 1990s saw Mercedes-Benz purchase British engine builder Ilmor (now Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines), and campaignIndyCars under the USAC/CART rules, eventually winning the 1994 Indianapolis 500 and 1994 CART IndyCar World Series Championship with Al Unser, Jr. at the wheel. The 1990s also saw the return of Mercedes-Benz to GT racing, and the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR, both of which took the company to new heights by dominating the FIA's GT1 class.
Mercedes-Benz is currently active in three forms of motorsport, Formula Three, DTM and Formula One.

[edit]Formula 1

Main article: Mercedes GP
Mercedes-Benz took part in the world championship in 1954 and 1955, but despite being successful with two championship titles for Juan-Manuel Fangio,[54] the company left the sport after just two seasons. He is considered by many to be the best F1 driver in history.[55]
Mercedes-Benz returned as an engine supplier in the 1990s and part-owned Team McLaren for some years, to which it has supplied engines engineered by Ilmor[56] since 1995. This partnership brought success, including drivers championships for Mika Häkkinen in 1998 and 1999, and forLewis Hamilton in 2008, as well as a constructors championship in 1998. The collaboration with McLaren had been extended into the production of roadgoing cars such as the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.
In 2007, McLaren and Mercedes was fined a record US$100 million for stealing confidential Ferrari technical data.[57]
In 2009, Ross Brawn's newly conceived Formula One team, Brawn GP used Mercedes engines to help win the constructor's championship, and Jenson Button to become champion in the F1 drivers' championship. At the end of the season, Mercedes-Benz sold back its 40% stake in McLaren to the McLaren Group and bought 70% of the Brawn GP team jointly with an Abu Dubai based investment consortium. Brawn GP was renamed Mercedes GP for the 2010 season and is, from this season on, a works team for Mercedes-Benz.

[edit]Noted employees

[edit]Innovations

Numerous technological innovations have been introduced on Mercedes-Benz automobiles throughout the many years of their production, including:
  • The internal combustion engined automobile was developed independently by Benz and Daimler & Maybach in 1886
  • Daimler invented the honeycomb radiator of the type still used on all water-cooled vehicles today
  • Daimler invented the float carburetor which was used until replaced by fuel injection
  • The "drop chassis"—the car originally designated the "Mercedes" by Daimler was also the first car with a modern configuration, having the carriage lowered and set between the front and rear wheels, with a front engine and powered rear wheels. All earlier cars were "horseless carriages", which had high centres of gravity and various engine/drive-train configurations
  • The first passenger road car to have brakes on all four wheels (1924)[63]
  • The "safety cage" or "safety cell" construction with front and rear crumple zones was first developed by Mercedes-Benz in 1951. This is considered by many as the most important innovation in automobile construction from a safety standpoint[2][verification needed]
  • In 1959, Mercedes-Benz patented a device that prevents drive wheels from spinning by intervening at the engine, transmission, or brakes. In 1987, Mercedes-Benz applied its patent by introducing a traction control system that worked under both braking and acceleration
  • Traction control and airbags in the European market, were Mercedes-Benz innovations.[citation needed] These technologies were introduced in 1986, and 1980 respectively
  • Mercedes-Benz was the first to introduce pre-tensioners to seat belts on the 1981 S-Class. In the event of a crash, a pre-tensioner will tighten the belt instantaneously, removing any 'slack' in the belt, which prevents the occupant from jerking forward in a crash
  • In September 2003, Mercedes-Benz introduced the world's first seven-speed automatic transmission called '7G-Tronic'
  • Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), brake assist,[64] and many other types of safety equipment were all developed, tested, and implemented into passenger cars—first—by Mercedes-Benz. Mercedes-Benz has not made a large fuss about its innovations, and has even licensed them for use by competitors—in the name of improving automobile and passenger safety. As a result, crumple zones and anti-lock brakes (ABS) are now standard on all modern vehicles.[2][verification needed]
Mercedes M156 engine
  • The most powerful naturally aspirated eight cylinder engine in the world is the Mercedes-AMG,6,208 cc M156 V8 engine at 85 PS (Template:Convert/kw) per litre. The V8 engine is badged '63 AMG', and replaced the '55 AMG' M113 engine in most models. The M156 engine produces up to 391 kW (532 PS; 524 bhp), and although some models using this engine do have this output (such as the S63 and CL63 AMGs), specific output varies slightly across other models in the range[65]
  • The (W211) E320 CDI which has a variable geometry turbocharger (VTG) 2.8 litre V6 common rail diesel engine (producing 224 hp/167 kW), set three world endurance records. It covered 100,000 miles (160,000 km) in a record time, with an average speed of 224.823 km/h (139.70 mph). Three identical cars did the endurance run (one set above record) and the other two cars set world records for time taken to cover 100,000 kilometres (62,137 mi) and 50,000 miles (80,000 km) respectively. After all three cars had completed the run, their combined distance was 300,000 miles (480,000 km) (all records were FIA approved).[66][clarification needed]
  • Mercedes-Benz pioneered a system called Pre-Safe to detect an imminent crash—and prepares the car's safety systems to respond optimally. It also calculates the optimal braking force required to avoid an accident in emergency situations, and makes it immediately available for when the driver depresses the brake pedal. Occupants are also prepared by tightening the seat belt, closing the sunroof and windows, and moving the seats into the optimal position.
Half a century of vehicle safety innovation helped win Mercedes-Benz the Safety Award at the 2007 What Car? Awards.[63]

[edit]Robot cars

Main article: Driverless car
In the 1980s, Mercedes built the world's first robot car, together with the team of Professor Ernst Dickmanns at Bundeswehr University Munich.[67] Partially encouraged by Dickmanns' success, in 1987 the European Union's EUREKA programme initiated the Prometheus Project on autonomous vehicles, funded to the tune of nearly €800 million. A culmination point was achieved in 1995, when Dickmanns' re-engineered autonomous S-Class Mercedes took a long trip from Munich in Bavaria to Copenhagen in Denmark, and back. On highways, the robot achieved speeds exceeding 175 km/h (109 mph) (permissible in some areas of the German Autobahn). The car's abilities has heavily influenced robot car research and funding decisions worldwide.

[edit]Tuners

Several companies have become car tuners (or modifiers) of Mercedes Benz, in order to increase performance and/or luxury to a given model.
AMG is Mercedes-Benz's in-house performance-tuning division, specialising in high-performance versions of most Mercedes-Benz cars. AMG engines are all hand-built,[68] and each completed engine receives a tag with the signature of the engineer who built it. AMG has been wholly owned by Mercedes-Benz since 1999.[69] The 2009 SLS AMG, a revival of the 300SL Gullwing, is the first car to be entirely developed by AMG.
There are numerous independent tuners including, Brabus, Carlsson, Kleemann, Renntech and MKB.
he Mercedes-Benz E-Class is a range of executive-size cars manufactured byMercedes-Benz in various engine and body configurations. The E initially stood forEinspritzmotor, (German for fuel injection engine); a new feature in volume production vehicles at the time that the E-Class first appeared, with the E as a suffix to the engine nomenclature (e.g. 230E) in the 1950s. It was not until the launch of the facelifted W124that the E was used as a prefix (i.e. E220) and the model referred to officially as the E-Class (or E-Klasse). At this time all Mercedes cars used fuel injection and the company felt it was not necessary to add this as a distinguishing feature. Due to the E-Class's size and durability, the cars also frequently serve as taxis in European countries. Older models like the W123 and W124 are used in Malaysia as inter-state taxis, and the W211 is used in Singapore as a taxi. Mercedes-Benz also offers special-purpose vehicles (e.g. police or ambulance modifications) from the factory.

W120 'Ponton'

Main article: Mercedes-Benz W120
The first modern mid size Mercedes was the W120 'Ponton' 180 of 1953. Sharing its engineering with the R121 190 SL of 1955, the Ponton was a stylish sedan with four-cylinder power. A larger-engined W121 190 appeared in 1958.

[edit]W110 'Fintail'

Main article: Mercedes-Benz W110
Mercedes added tailfins to both the big S-Class and the new W110 'Fintail' 190 of 1962. Straight-6 power appeared for the first time in the 1965 230 model, and the fours grew in displacement that year as well.

[edit]W114/W115 'Stroke-8'

Main article: Mercedes-Benz W114
The mid size Mercedes was redesigned in 1968 as the W114/W115 'Stroke-8'. This time, the 6-cylinder models (The W114s) were most prevalent, with the W115 line making up the bottom of the company's offerings with four – and five-cylinder power. Diesel engines joined the line-up, as did a coupé body.

[edit]W123

Main article: Mercedes-Benz W123
The popular W123 quickly became a best-seller on its launch in 1976. Especially in Diesel 240D (and later 300D) guises, the cars enhanced the company's reputation for product quality. Over 2.3 million were produced until the end of production in 1986.
Saloon/Sedan, Coupé and Estate body configurations were offered.

[edit]W124

Main article: Mercedes-Benz W124
W124
W124 Mercedes-Benz E-Class estate
Production1984–1996
AssemblySindelfingen, Germany
Bremen, Germany
Rastatt, Germany (for the US-market)
Zuffenhausen, Germany,
Pune, India
Toluca, Mexico
Body style4-door sedan
5-door station wagon
2-door coupe
2-door convertible
PlatformMercedes-Benz W124
WheelbaseSedan & Wagon: 110.2 in (2,799 mm)
Coupe: 106.9 in (2,715 mm)
LengthWagon: 188.2 in (4,780 mm)
Sedan: 187.2 in (4,755 mm)
Coupe: 183.9 in (4,671 mm)
Width68.5 in (1,740 mm)
E500 Sedan: 70.7 in (1,796 mm)
HeightWagon: 59.8 in (1,519 mm)
Sedan: 56.3 in (1,430 mm)
Coupe: 55.5 in (1,410 mm)
Convertible: 54.8 in (1,392 mm)
E500 Sedan: 55.4 in (1,407 mm)
Curb weight3927 lb (500E)
3826 lb (400E)
The 'E-Class' name first appeared in the USA with the face-lifted W124 for the modelyear 1994 (the w124 was introduced in the US in 1986 but continued with the older models' naming convention until 1993, when all Mercedes-Benz models switched to a new system, e.g., E320 instead of 300E). The 300D continued to be the fuel economy option over the 4 and 6 cylinder gasoline engines, and the gasoline V8 engines (available after 1992) increased gasoline power outputs further. The V8 powered sedans/saloons were named 400E/500E from 1992–1993, and E420/E500 after 1993. Likewise, the 3-liter cars (e.g., 'E300') where also re-badged to 'E320' with the new 3.2 litre engines and naming rationalization of 1994.
Saloon/Sedan, Coupé, Convertible and Estate body configurations were offered.
From 1992 to 1994 Mercedes offered a limited production sport version of the W124 sedan, created and assembled with help from Porsche. This was called the 500E (E500 for 1994).

[edit]W210

Main article: Mercedes-Benz W210
W210
1996–99 Mercedes-Benz W210 E-Class sedan
Production1995–2002
AssemblyGraz, Austria
Sindelfingen, Germany
Bremen, Germany
Pune, India
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Cairo, Egypt
Bogor, Indonesia[2]
Body style4-door sedan
5-door station wagon
PlatformMercedes-Benz W210
Wheelbase111.5 in (2,832 mm)
The W210 E-Class, launched in 1996, brought the mid-size Mercedes firmly into the upper end of the luxury market. Though six-cylinder models were still offered for a time, the four-light front end and high prices moved the car upmarket. In September 1999 the W210 E-class was facelifted. This included visual, mechanical and quality improvements over the earlier versions.
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class was Motor Trend's Import Car of the Year for 1996.

[edit]W211

Main article: Mercedes-Benz W211
W211
2003–2006 Mercedes-Benz E-320 sedan (US)
Production2002–2009
AssemblySindelfingen, Germany
Bremen, Germany
Zuffenhausen, Germany
Toluca, Mexico
Graz, Austria
Pune, India
Beijing, China
Cairo, Egypt
Pekan, Malaysia
Tehran, Iran
Samut Prakan, Thailand
Bogor, Indonesia
Body style4-door sedan
5-door station wagon
PlatformMercedes-Benz W211
Transmission5-speed automatic
7-speed automatic
6-speed manual
RelatedMercedes-Benz CLS-Class
Launched in 2002, the W211 E-Class was another evolution of the previous model and was considered by the motoring media as an even more competitive offering to the long term rival BMW 5-Series (which previously was the preferred choice of the motoring media). Before North American sales began, the car was shown in the 2002 movie Men in Black II.
The W211-based W219 CLS-Class 4-door coupé was introduced as a niche model in 2005, primarily to attract a younger demographic.
The W211 E-Class was face lifted in 2007 to address quality and technical issues raised by earlier models, Sensotronic was dropped, while Pre-Safe (w/o brake support) was made standard. The largest factory built engine in the E-class range is the E500 (badged E550 in the U.S.) which had its engine size increased from 5 litres to 5.5 litres in 2006 along with the facelift. There is also an AMG model badged E63 AMG and other tuning house installations.
Mercedes-Benz introduced their BlueTec Diesel system to the E-Class at the 2006 North American International Auto Show as the E320 CDI BlueTec. BlueTec is a two-phase system for cleaning diesel emissions. The first phase makes the E320 CDI legal in 45 of the 50 United States (plus the District of Columbia). The second phase uses urea for further reductions to meet the more stringent standards of California, Maine,Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont. Sales of E320 CDI BlueTec began in autumn 2006 as a 2007 model, but 50-state legal models with urea injection will not be introduced until the 2009 model year.
  • 2009 Mercedes-Benz E350 (W211; US)
    •  
  • Facelift E-Class W211
    •  
  • Facelift E-Class W211

[edit]W212

Mercedes-Benz W212
Mercedes-Benz E 250 CDI (W212) Avantgarde sedan (Germany)
Production2009–present
AssemblySindelfingen, Germany
Pune, India
Toluca, Mexico
Cairo, Egypt
Beijing, China
ClassExecutive car
Body style4-door sedan
4-door station wagon
2-door coupe
convertible
LayoutFront engine, rear-wheel drive / four-wheel drive
Main article: Mercedes-Benz W212
The W212 replaced the W211 in 2009. Official photos of the W 212 were leaked on the internet on the 9th December, 2008 ahead of its 2009 Geneva Motor Show unveiling.[3]Scans of a leaked brochure were posted onto the internet in January 2009, detailing the whole E-Class range including the new E 200 CGI and E 230 CGI with direct injectedforced inducted engines.[4] New features include a blind spot monitor, Lane Keeping Assist, Pre-safe with Attention Assist and Night View Assist Plus. In the United States the E-class will be priced nearly US$4,600 less than the previous model.[5] The E-class coupe is built in Bremen using the W204 C-class platform.[6] The W212 estate was also announced and goes on sale from November 2009.[7] The W212 cabriolet was announced January 11, 2010 at the North American International Auto Show, for sale March 27, 2010 in Europe and in May 2010 in the United States.[8] Features on the 2010 version include folding mirrors when locked. Locking can be done on the touch sensors on every door handle and the lock button of the power closing trunk. The colors available for sedan are: Calcite White, Black,Cuprit Brown Metallic,Diamond White BRIGHT Metallic,Indium Grey Metallic,Iridium Silver Metallic,Obsidian Black,Palladium Silver Metallic,Pearl Beige Metallic, Tanzanite Blue Metallic and Tenorite Grey Metallic. The navigation system also has a Bluetooth system that can allow you to answer a call at the touch of a button. When reverse gear is selected, the rear camera shows automatically on the navigation display. After parking,and you call another number on your own cell phone(not car speakerphone) then you can hear the other end of the call.
  • Mercedes-Benz E 350 coupe (Australia)
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  • Mercedes-Benz E 350 4Matic sedan (US)
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  • Mercedes-Benz E 350 CDI Avantgarde wagon (Germany)

[edit]E55 AMG

The previous AMG model of the E-Class was the W211 E55 with 469 hp (350 kW) and 516 lbf·ft(700Nm) between 2650 and 4500 rpm (the power band). A supercharger system was used to increase the power of the base engine of the E55 from 369 hp (275 kW) to 469 hp (350 kW). The E55 can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 4.2 seconds and has a quarter-mile time of anywhere from the high 11's to low 12's depending on driver and each individual car. The difference between the E55 opposed to the newer naturally aspirated E63 is the potential of one to the E55. Since the E55 engine has a forced induction system (supercharger), this allows for smaller pulleys to be installed and tuned to gain more power. The major drawback to the E55 is the cooling system (mainly the stock Bosch intercooler pump does not have sufficient flow rate) which is highly prone to heat soaking after a series of high speed pulls. The solution to this common problem is replacing the stock intercooler pump with an aftermarket Johnson CM30 pump.

Prior to the W211 E55 was the W210 E55 model which has a naturally aspirated AMG-tuned powerplant. The M113 powered the W210 E55 which used a 5.4L V8 SOHC 24V to produce 354 PS (260 kW; 349 hp in US-spec) and 391 ft·lb (530 N·m) of torque. The body styling on all of the W210 AMG models was the same until 2000 when a facelift and numerous interior upgrades were implemented. The W210 E55 was the last vehicle that a major portion of production took place by hand at AMG in Affalterbach. Production was actually split between Affalterbach and the Bremen Mercedes-Benz facility until the end of 2001. The 2001 E55 AMG was a rare version of the W210 E55, of which only 659 units were produced in 2001. Various road tests revealed 0–60 mph in 4.8–5.3 seconds and quarter-mile times of 13.3–13.5 seconds.

[edit]E63 AMG

The performance version of the E-Class, the E63 AMG is the first sedan built entirely by AMG. With a 518 hp (386 kW) engine, the E63 can achieve a top speed of around 200 mph (320 km/h) (electronic limiter off), and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 4.3 seconds.
The styling has been altered for both aesthetic and practical purposes: AMG side skirts and rear apron give the E63 more aggressive styling, and the larger air apertures on the front of the car allow for more air intake to the naturally aspirated 6.2 liter V8. Another styling change on the E63 is the wider, flared front wheel arches which accommodate the AMG front axle with a 2.2-inch-wider (56 mm) track

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