C-Class face lift

Will probably take a while as the current shape was launched recently.

Present range of diesel engines

2.0, 2.2, 2.7 litres

DAS

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I keep thinking that, but it was actually about 3 years ago.

The C203 face-lift will take place at the end of February 2004 (as one hears - no guarantee it will not be the beginning of March...)

The changes - as far as one has heard, so again NO guarantee for this! - will be:

- New bumpers on front and rear

- clear-glass headlights

- _brilliant-style_ rear lights

- interiour with new seats, new switches, new instrument cluster, ...

- air condition standard for all models

- much likely

as an option

- COMAND system with DVD

If I would be in the position to want one I would _definitely_ wait for the face-lifted version.

Haven't heard about new diesel engines - remember, the C200CDI and 220CDI have just been updated (C200CDI up from 116 PS to 122 PS, 220CDI an unchanged 143 PS, but max. torque up from 315 to

340 Nm). Also note that there will be CDI engines for the C-Class with particulate filters, CD says: (cite on) In Germany Mercedes-Benz is offering the combination of EU 4 and diesel particulate filter for the four-cylinder CDI models for a price of ? 580 (incl. VAT). When registering such a vehicle for the first time, Mercedes customers in Germany, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Sweden and the Netherlands will enjoy tax benefits which effectively reduce the additional cost by a significant amount, or even balance it out completely. (cite off)

Juergen

Juergen

The C203 face-lift will take place at the end of February 2004 (as one hears - no guarantee it will not be the beginning of March...)

The changes - as far as one has heard, so again NO guarantee for this! - will be:

- New bumpers on front and rear

- clear-glass headlights

- _brilliant-style_ rear lights

- interiour with new seats, new switches, new instrument cluster, ...

- air condition standard for all models

- much likely

as an option

- COMAND system with DVD

If I would be in the position to want one I would _definitely_ wait for the face-lifted version.

Haven't heard about new diesel engines - remember, the C200CDI and 220CDI have just been updated (C200CDI up from 116 PS to 122 PS, 220CDI an unchanged 143 PS, but max. torque up from 315 to

340 Nm). Also note that there will be CDI engines for the C-Class with particulate filters, DC says: (cite on) In Germany Mercedes-Benz is offering the combination of EU 4 and diesel particulate filter for the four-cylinder CDI models for a price of ? 580 (incl. VAT). When registering such a vehicle for the first time, Mercedes customers in Germany, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Sweden and the Netherlands will enjoy tax benefits which effectively reduce the additional cost by a significant amount, or even balance it out completely. (cite off)

Juergen

Juergen

Oh, well.

I agree with Miknik, it seems like 'yesterday' but is quite a while ago. (Sorry for misleading comment, Neil -- fortunately there are some more knowledgeable people in this NG.)

So a facelift soon is not out of place.

DAS

--

There is definitely a new diesel engine under test. I met an MB test team on Mt Ventous in France (where MB, BMW and other manufacturers regularly test their new cars because it is one huge mountain). They were testing a CLK fitted with a new diesel engine, and the inside of the car was packed with geeks and computers. They told me it was a new engine, but you could not exactly miss the fact that it made a very strange tinging noise, I guess it must have very high compression ratio. They wouldn't answer any more questions - "geheim", they said.

They could do with new switches. I've had my C class two years and still have to think before pressing the window switches, the mirror folding buttons, or the central-locking button. Really illogical swtiches!

Yes, sure - but it will not be sold with the face-lifted C-Class W203 next year.

Certainly there is still some potential in the pressure of the common-rail system of the CDIs.

What else should they say? _Hey Ric, we're going to lunch for an hour in the little village just one kilometre away - you know it is not legal for you to creep into the not closed car and look into the car's papers and into our still running laptop computers as well under the car's hood so do NOT do that!_ ;-)))))

Juergen