Mercedes-Benz CL 203

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Mercedes Benz
C 230 Supercharged Sports Coupé (2000-2004)
C 230 Supercharged Sports Coupé (2000-2004)
CL 203
Sales designation: C-Class Sports Coupé,
CLC
Production period: 10 / 2000-02 / 2011
Class : Middle class
Body versions : Combi coupe
Engines:
Otto engines : 1.6–3.5 liters
(90–260 kW)
Diesel engines :
2.1–3.0 liters
(90–170 kW)
Length: 4343-4448 mm
Width: 1728 mm
Height: 1405 mm
Wheelbase : 2715 mm
Empty weight : 1465-1550 kg
successor Mercedes-Benz C 204

The Mercedes-Benz CL 203 is a sports coupé from Mercedes-Benz that was built between autumn 2000 and early 2011. Until a major revision in spring 2008, the vehicle was sold as the C-Class Sports Coupé, after which it was renamed the CLC . The 203 series served as the basis for the CL 203 .

The sports coupé was produced in the Sindelfingen plant. At the beginning of 2007, production was relocated to the Juiz de Fora plant in Brazil. Mercedes developed this car to compete with BMW's 3 Series Compact.

At the beginning of February 2011, production of the CLC, which was still based on the 203 series, ran out and the model was replaced by the Coupé (internally called the C 204) based on the subsequent C-Class of the 204 series . By the end of production, around 370,000 vehicles of the CL 203 had been delivered to customers.

development

From November 2000 the C-Class sports coupe was offered with five engines, four of which were gasoline and one diesel. Initially criticized for its price-performance ratio, it later became even more popular. The design is typical for a coupé. At the front, similar to the sedan , the sideline rises steeply and ends in a high rear, which is rounded off by a spoiler; the trunk has a capacity of 310 liters. The cockpit is almost identical to the sedan except for the paneling of the instrument cluster. The starting price for the market launch was 24,128 euros (including 16% VAT) for the C 180.

Rear view

In mid-2002, the 2.0-liter engine in the C 180 sports coupé was replaced by a 1.8-liter, this supercharged engine now develops 105 kW (143 hp). The compressor motor used in the C 200 has also been slightly optimized. The C 230 compressor was given a performance-optimized 1.8 l compressor motor with 141 kW (192 hp). The starting price rose to 24,882 euros (including 16% VAT) for the C 180 compressor.

In the spring of 2003, Mercedes began installing the 200 CGI , which was already familiar from the C and CLK classes , in the sports coupé. It was a direct injection gasoline engine based on the 1.8-liter supercharged engine with 125 kW (170 hp). In the same year, two versions of the AMG in-house tuner were presented: the C 30 CDI AMG and the C 32 AMG. The 200 CDI was also introduced in the sports coupé in 2003.

First facelift

The sports coupé was revised to the same extent as the sedan and station wagon and was available from dealers from April 24, 2004.

The body, the interior and the technology were refined. At the front, the improved model can be recognized by the redesigned bumpers with lower air intakes, the radiator grille with three louvres and the headlights covered with clear glass. At the rear only the lights were redesigned. The track has been widened, the steering, the manual transmission and the chassis have been revised. The aim was to improve driving behavior without sacrificing comfort.

The cockpit was redesigned and thus looked fresher. The sports coupé also received a new three-spoke steering wheel with silver-colored control buttons. The model maintenance measures were rounded off by new safety and comfort extras. Bi- xenon headlights as well as new audio systems with an integrated navigation system and, as the top version, a DVD-based "Comand system" with an extra large color screen were available. The price has now risen to 26,042 euros (including 16% VAT) for the C 180 compressor. With the introduction of the C 160 in March 2005, this was reduced to 24,708 euros (including 16% VAT). In parallel with the increase in VAT to 19 percent, prices continued to rise. At the beginning of 2007 it was 25,585 euros for the C 160.

With the facelift, new engines found their way into the sports coupé. The C 160 Kompressor with 90 kW (122 hp) was introduced as the new basic model, with the C 200 CGI, the C 30 CDI AMG and the C 32 AMG being discontinued due to poor sales figures. In addition, a 2.5-liter six-cylinder without a compressor with 150 kW (204 hp) worked under the bonnet of the C 230. As in all Mercedes models, the 3.2 l engine of the C 320 with 160 kW (218 hp) was replaced by the much more powerful 3.5 l engine with 200 kW (272 hp). The C 220 CDI also received a slight increase in output to 110 kW (150 hp). All engines were coupled to a 6-speed manual transmission.

Two sports packages were offered on request: the EVOLUTION and EVOLUTION AMG sports packages. The EVOLUTION package could be recognized by a radiator grille with perforated lamellas and an enlarged exhaust tailpipe cover. It was rounded off by light alloy wheels with 7 spokes. In the interior, the EVOLUTION package contained a 3-spoke multifunction leather steering wheel, aluminum trim, a leather gear lever and an aluminum pedal system. In addition, the body was lowered by 15 mm at the front and 5 mm at the rear. The EVOLUTION AMG sports package, which included the EVOLUTION sports package, stood out with a new front and rear apron from AMG and AMG light-alloy wheels.

Second facelift and new name

On May 17, 2008, the revised sports coupe came on the market, which was then sold as the CLC class .

The front of the body was adapted to the appearance of the C-Class of the 204 series, the rear was redesigned and the interior was changed slightly. The basic shape of the body and the cockpit remained untouched. In the interior there were some new details such as the more contoured sports seats, generous use of brushed aluminum trim, a new sports steering wheel and a new generation of infotainment systems. A large color monitor was added for navigation information, as well as a DVD or hard disk drive and a new interface for iPod , USB stick or SD card with which external music players can be connected.

Except for the CLC 200 compressor, which now delivered 135 kW (184 hp), the engines remained unchanged. As before, six engines were available from May 2008, including four gasoline engines (105 kW – 200 kW) and two diesels (90 kW – 110 kW). Mercedes had improved this in detail and reduced consumption by up to eleven percent.

In 2009, the CLC 230 was renamed the CLC 250 and supplemented with a new small petrol engine with 95 kW. From spring 2010, the diesel variants were no longer offered, so that the engine range had shrunk to five gasoline engines with an output range between 95 kW and 200 kW by the end of 2010. The price for the introduction of the CLC started at 28,113.75 euros (including 19% VAT) for the CLC 180 compressor, but by the end of 2010 this was reduced to 26,894 euros (including 19% VAT) with the help of the CLC 160 BlueEFFICIENCY.

As of the second week of January 2011, the CLC could no longer be ordered because the last new car rolled off the assembly line at the beginning of February.

The sports package

In a certain sense, this is also a replacement for the equipment lines of the sedan and the T-model. In which there are 3 so-called lines. A comprehensive sports package is available as an option for the CLC. This includes, among other things:

  • new direct steering with variable steering ratio depending on the steering wheel angle
  • Sports suspension
  • darkened headlights and rear lights
  • third brake light with smoked glass
  • Radiator grille with black slats and chrome plating
  • 18 "alloy wheels with 5 double spokes
  • Sports air filter
  • Decorative parts in dark brushed aluminum
  • Stainless steel sports pedals with rubber studs
  • Upholstery with Artico man-made leather, with cognac brown leather on request
  • modified, instrument cluster, pointer in 6 o'clock position when idle

The special model "Special Edition"

The exterior at a glance:

  • 17 ″ alloy wheels
  • Metallic paint
  • Darkened front headlights and rear lights
  • 3. Brake light with smoked glass
  • Grille with black louvers
  • Front apron with gray air inlet grille
  • Stainless steel tailpipe trim

The interior at a glance:

  • 3-spoke leather sports steering wheel with multifunction
  • Headliner in black
  • Sports pedals made of brushed stainless steel with rubber studs
  • Foot mats
  • Audio 20
  • PARKTRONIC
  • heated seats in the front
  • Comfort package (rain sensor, electrically foldable exterior mirrors, automatic dimming function for the exterior mirror on the driver's side and tire pressure loss warning)

Duration

Of the around 370,000 vehicles produced, just under 69,000 were registered in Germany in 2017. Slightly more than 12,000 of these vehicles were equipped with a diesel engine. Around every fifth sports coupe (14,000 units) is registered as a C 180 supercharger with type code 568. It is the most common variant. The rarest sports coupes today, each with fewer than 100 vehicles, are the C 200 CGI, the C 32 AMG and the C 30 CDI AMG.

Individual evidence

  1. Production location ( Memento from June 24, 2007 in the web archive archive.today )
  2. Mercedes-Benz CLC: out for the Brazilian FOCUS Online, February 7, 2011
  3. Mercedes-Benz CLC - out for the Brazilian auto.de, February 7, 2011
  4. Market launch of the CLC
  5. a b KBA: Inventory of motor vehicles and motor vehicle trailers by manufacturer and trade name January 1, 2017 (PDF; 10.53 MB) Accessed October 17, 2018 .
  6. KBA: Inventory of motor vehicles and motor vehicle trailers by manufacturer and trade name January 1, 2010 (PDF; 4.13 MB) Retrieved on October 17, 2018 .
  7. KBA: Inventory of motor vehicles and motor vehicle trailers by manufacturer and trade name January 1, 2015 (PDF; 4.11 MB) Accessed on October 17, 2018 .
  8. KBA: Inventory of motor vehicles and motor vehicle trailers by manufacturer and trade name January 1, 2016 (PDF; 9.28 MB) Accessed October 17, 2018 .
  9. KBA: Inventory of motor vehicles and motor vehicle trailers by manufacturer and trade name January 1, 2018 (XLS; 7.27 MB) Retrieved November 30, 2018 .

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Web links

Commons : Mercedes-Benz CL 203  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files