[Car History] With the release of 170 and 220 models in 1951, the general direction of Mercedes-Benz aiming at market development after the war was established. Since then, the S-class sedan has laid a good brand reputation for Mercedes-Benz, and the first generation of E-class sedan (W123) born in 1976 has enabled Mercedes-Benz to successfully seize the market. In order to enrich our own product camp and compete with that launched in 1975, the smaller Mercedes-Benz 190 series came into being. Since the name of C-Class was established in 1993, it has been honed for 21 years and developed into the fourth generation model. Let’s review the development history of this up-and-coming Mercedes-Benz family together.
Mercedes-Benz 190 () Series (1982 -1993)
Mercedes-Benz’s first entry-level family car, the predecessor of mercedes benz c class.
Before formally introducing the mercedes benz c Class, let’s learn about its predecessor-Mercedes-Benz 190 Series. In view of the solid foundation laid by S-class sedan for Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-Benz launched a medium-sized sedan called E-Class in 1976. However, the model with smaller size and closer to family use is still blank for Mercedes-Benz, so it is urgent to develop an entry-level family sedan. However, as early as the 1960s, Mercedes-Benz tried to launch more family-friendly cars. In 1960, it successively built a number of test models such as W119, Baby-Benz in 1974 and Mercedes-Benz 190 Studie in 1978, but these models were not put into mass production.
In 1981, Erich Waxenberger, a Mercedes-Benz engineer, built a 190 Stadtwagen test vehicle code W201, which was more like a 104, only 2220mm, with a short body and a two-door structure very similar to a little-known Mercedes-Benz test vehicle in the 1970s. The trunk lid of 190 Stadtwagen is modified from the Travel Edition (W123). The slender front and short rear make the proportion of the whole vehicle appear extremely uncoordinated. Only the door, exterior rearview mirror and wheels can see the shadow of Mercedes-Benz. The car is equipped with a 122-horsepower 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder and one, with a top speed of 175km/h during the test phase. Although this two-door car was not mass-produced, it laid the foundation for the production of Mercedes-Benz 190 series and the research and development of smaller (W168) and.
In 1970s, and successively launched their entry-level family cars, while Mercedes-Benz, as the leader of German luxury brands, was slow to act. When the BMW 3 Series was widely recognized by the market, Mercedes-Benz finally couldn’t sit still. Mercedes-Benz 190(W201), which cost 600 million pounds to develop, was officially launched in 1982, and its positioning was lower than that of Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan at that time. The appearance of Mercedes-Benz 190 follows the design style of (W126) introduced in 1979, and the iconic shield-shaped air intake grille is embedded with two horizontal and one vertical chrome-plated lines. Compared with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class in the same period, the shape of the Mercedes-Benz 190 is more tough.
The most striking thing at the rear of Mercedes-Benz 190 is the anti-pollution taillights that are very similar to those of Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W126). The corners on the lampshade can effectively prevent the light source from being covered by dirt and other pollutants. This taillight style has also become a classic design of Mercedes-Benz in that era. The trunk lid of Mercedes-Benz 190 is quite heavy in shape. The Mercedes-Benz logo and trunk lock are longitudinally placed in the center of the trunk lid, and its front and rear bumpers, exterior rearview mirrors and door scuff strips are all made of black plastic, all of which are practical. Mercedes-Benz 190 has a body size of 4420mm, a width of 1678mm, a height of 1389mm, a wheelbase of 2665mm and a body weight of 1139kg.
Unexpectedly, the interiors of Mercedes-Benz 190 and 190 Stadtwagen test cars are almost identical. Even though the appearance of the test car is not strong, it has indeed made some efforts in the interior design. In order to reflect the characteristics of its high-quality family car, although it is different from the luxurious atmosphere created everywhere in Mercedes-Benz S-Class cars, the interior materials and assembly technology of Mercedes-Benz 190 still maintain the level that Mercedes-Benz should have. The size of the four-spoke steering wheel is too large, and the clock is placed under the tachometer on the right side of the dashboard. The interior design of Mercedes-Benz 190 is far from eye-catching, but it also makes you unable to pick out any faults. It is its greatest appeal to be modest and practical.
For the Mercedes-Benz 190, which cost 600 million pounds to develop, nothing extraordinary is bound to be unreasonable. 0.33, body structure, anti-lock braking system and so on are all commendable places of Mercedes-Benz 190, among which the most striking thing is that Mercedes-Benz 190 adopts the structure of improved machine spring to separate the front and rear five links. This suspension structure can be said to be very advanced at that time. Even Mercedes-Benz S-Class only started to use the rear suspension in the seventh generation model with code W140, and the complicated multi-link rear suspension makes the handling of Mercedes-Benz 190 more like a duck to water. Although the configuration of Mercedes-Benz 190 is not as rich as that of Mercedes-Benz S-Class in the same period, consumers can still choose and install multi-cassette stereo system according to their needs, except for electric seat adjustment and steel skylight.
Mercedes-Benz 190 adopts the layout and is equipped with a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder naturally aspirated engine, with a maximum of 90 to 105 horsepower through different adjustments. However, in the Mercedes-Benz 190 series, the most well-known one is the 190E, and the "e" at the end is German Einspritzen (fuel injection), so the most significant difference between the Mercedes-Benz 190 and the 190E is that the former is an engine and the latter is a fuel injection engine. The 2.0-liter fuel injection engine code M102 on Mercedes-Benz 190E has a maximum power of 122 HP (90kW)/5100rpm and a maximum power of 178 N m/3500 rpm. The engine is matched with a 4-speed and 5-speed manual gearbox and a 4-speed, with an acceleration time of 9.9 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h and a top speed of 195km/h per 100 km/h.
Following the Mercedes-Benz 190 E, the Mercedes-Benz 190 D was officially launched in 1983. The car is equipped with a 72 horsepower 2.0 liter naturally aspirated with a maximum torque of 123 N m. In order to enter the North American market, Mercedes-Benz launched the 190 D 2.2 with a larger displacement in 1984, and the 190 D 2.5 launched in 1985 was equipped with a 2.5-liter in-line five-cylinder diesel engine with a maximum power of 90 HP and a maximum torque of 154 N m. In 1987, with the gradual movement of diesel vehicles, Mercedes-Benz 190 D 2.5 Turbo was officially unveiled. It was equipped with a 2.5-liter five-cylinder diesel engine with code name of 0M602D25, with a maximum power of 122 HP (90kW)/4600rpm, a maximum torque of 225 N m/2400 rpm, a maximum speed of 192km/h and a comprehensive fuel consumption of 8.3 liters per 100 kilometers.
In mid-1984, Mercedes-Benz introduced a sports version called 190 E 2.3-16. Compared with the 190E, the 190 E 2.3-16 adopts a newly designed sports body kit, and the front and rear bumpers are more integrated. After the plastic rubbing strips of the doors are cancelled, the application of the side skirts makes the visual center of gravity of the whole vehicle lower, and the most eye-catching thing at the rear is the identity logo of "2.3-16". As for the interior, the 190 E 2.3-16 adopts a leather and fabric sports seat with stronger wrapping. After the storage area under the center console is reduced, three instruments including oil temperature and oil pressure gauges are placed under the audio panel to create a sporty atmosphere in the 190 E 2.3-16 car.
The engine code M102E23/2 of Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.3-16 is improved from the 2.3-liter engine of Mercedes-Benz 230 E. After adjustment, the maximum power of this 2.3-liter inline four-cylinder 16 engine reaches 185 horsepower (136kW)/6200rpm, and the maximum torque is 235 N m/4500 rpm. It is equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission and a 4-speed automatic transmission. In 1986, the 190 E 2.6 with a 160 HP 2.6-liter inline six-cylinder engine was officially launched. In 1988, the Mercedes-Benz 190 series introduced a small modified model with more abundant configurations. The 190 E 2.5-16 with larger displacement replaced the previous 190 E 2.3-16, and the maximum power of the 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine was slightly increased to 195 horsepower. In addition to the original black and silver, the body color was painted in red, and finally the output of the 190 E 2.5-16 was locked at 5,743 units.
At the end of 1984, a group of top drivers drove the same Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.3-16 in a celebration event to celebrate the opening of the track, and finally Ayrton Senna won the race. Mercedes-benz 190 E 2.3-16 and 2.5-16 achieved excellent results in many competitions at that time with excellent power and handling. In order to qualify for the DTM German Touring Car Masters (the participating vehicles must be mass-produced vehicles with more than 500 vehicles), Mercedes-Benz launched the 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution based on 190e2.5-16 in 1989. Mercedes-benz 190 E 2.5-16 has been quite sporty, while the evolution of 190e2.5-16 is more radical. The brake and suspension system have been specially adjusted, and the all-black painting and redesigned appearance kit make its visual effect more fierce.
After adjustment by Cosworth, the maximum power of the 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine code M102E25/2 is 204 HP (150kW)/6750rpm, and the maximum torque is 240 N m/5000-5500 rpm. The engine is matched with a 5-speed automatic gearbox, with an acceleration time of 7.5 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h. In 1989, Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution DTM won seven races, and played a fierce battle with (). AMG team also became the powerhouse of that year with its 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution DTM.
In order to compete with BMW M3(E30) on the field, Mercedes-Benz launched another masterpiece-190e2.5-16 Evolution II in 1990. The car also produced a limited number of 502 units for the competition conditions. Although the price of the car was as high as 40,000 pounds at that time, it was sold out within a few months after its launch. To the fans’ surprise, its appearance is integrated with a wide-body kit, and with a huge rear spoiler, it is simply a street DTM racing car. The specially adjusted suspension, six-spoke 17-inch wheels and 245/40 R17 tires create an unparalleled visual beauty of the whole car. The 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder naturally aspirated engine tuned by Cosworth has a maximum power of 235 HP (173 kW)/7,200 rpm and a maximum torque of 245 N m/5,000-6,000 rpm. With a 5-speed manual transmission, the acceleration time from 0-100km/h is 6.3 seconds and the top speed can reach 252 km/h.
It is worth mentioning that in 1989, Mercedes-Benz launched a 190 E Cabriolet test car with a soft-top convertible. Although the car was not put into mass production, it contributed to the research and development of Mercedes-Benz E-Class (W124) convertible version. With excellent performance and extraordinary strength of driver Klaus Ludwig, 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II made Mercedes-Benz the champion of the year. Mercedes-Benz’s brilliant achievements in DTM events are inseparable from AMG’s contribution. After years of hard work, AMG has gradually developed from a well-known refit factory to a high-performance brand under Mercedes-Benz. From 1982 to 1993, 1874668 Mercedes-Benz 190 series models were produced. Such brilliant sales and the birth of many legendary models laid a solid foundation for the later mercedes benz c class. In the eyes of many car fans, they prefer to regard Mercedes-Benz 190 series as the first generation mercedes benz c class.
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