The Mercedes-Benz W205 is the fourth generation of the C-Class, produced between 2014 and 2021. It was the first car to use the company’s Modular Rear Architecture platform.
Mercedes-Benz C-Class (W205) at a glance
| Production | 2014–2021 |
|---|---|
| Presented | 16 December 2013; public debut at the 2014 Detroit show |
| Platform | Modular Rear Architecture (MRA) |
| Weight | about 100 kg less than the W204 |
| Bodies | saloon (W205), estate (S205), coupé (C205), cabriolet (A205), long-wheelbase saloon (V205) |
| Production start | 4 February 2014, Bremen |
| Size | 94 mm longer and 43 mm wider than the W204 |
| Suspension | four-link front axle, five-link rear axle |
| Engines at launch | 2.0-litre turbo four with 241 hp and 3.0-litre bi-turbo V6 with 329 hp |
| Drive | 4MATIC all-wheel drive across the initial offering |
| Coupé | from 2015 |
| Cabriolet | from 2016, the first C-Class cabriolet |
This article is based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the W205 C-Class.
History of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class (W205)
The W205 was shown to the public on 16 December 2013 and made its exhibition debut at the 2014 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Production began on 4 February 2014 at Bremen and was also carried out in East London in South Africa, Iracemápolis in Brazil and Tuscaloosa in Alabama. European sales started in March 2014, North American sales in September 2014 and South African sales in March 2015.
The car was the first to use the MRA rear-wheel-drive platform, which made it about 100 kg lighter than the W204 through extensive use of aluminium and more rigid than its rivals. It was 94 mm longer and 43 mm wider than the car it replaced, with a four-link front axle and a five-link rear axle. At launch it offered a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder of 241 hp in the Sport and Luxury trims and a 3.0-litre bi-turbo V6 of 329 hp, with 4MATIC all-wheel drive standard across the initial range.
The range grew to five bodies: saloon, estate, coupé, cabriolet and a long-wheelbase saloon. A plug-in hybrid C 350e with a 60 kW electric motor, 6.2 kWh battery and 31 km of electric range arrived in 2015, and a diesel plug-in hybrid followed in 2018. The coupé appeared at the 2015 Frankfurt show and the cabriolet at Geneva in 2016, the first open C-Class since 1955, with a fabric roof that opened in 20 seconds at up to 50 km/h. AMG versions included the C 450 AMG, renamed AMG C 43 for 2017, and the C 63 and C 63 S with a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. A facelift was shown at Geneva in 2018.
Design and features
- MRA platform: the first car on the new modular rear-drive architecture.
- Lighter body: about 100 kg less than the W204.
- Five bodies: saloon, estate, coupé, cabriolet and long-wheelbase saloon.
- Plug-in hybrids: petrol C 350e and a later diesel version.
Mercedes-Benz C-Class (W205) versions
- Saloon (W205): the standard four-door.
- Estate (S205): the station wagon.
- Coupé (C205): from 2015, without a B-pillar.
- Cabriolet (A205): from 2016, with a 20-second fabric roof.
- C 350e (2015): plug-in hybrid with 31 km electric range.
- AMG C 63 and C 63 S: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8.
The W205 followed the W204 and is part of the C-Class line; its coupé relative in the CLK tradition is covered under the CLK. More in the Mercedes-Benz collection.
Sources
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class (W205), English Wikipedia: platform, engines, bodies, variants
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