Mercedes Benz W201 190e 2.3 / 2.6 / Cosworth / Sportline Limited Edition Review

Mercedes Benz W201 190e 2.3 / 2.6 / Cosworth / Sportline Limited Edition Review

Prices are rising for this Young Classic as collectors take notice. Is the 190e The Best Car Ever Made? Mercedes Benz considered offering smaller cars beginning in the 1930's but it was legislation in the United States that eventually pushed the program forward. Embedded in the 1977 Clean Air Act was the introduction of CAFE Standards ( Corporate Average Fuel Economy) that originally specified that by 1985, auto manufacturers were expected to have an average 27.5 mpg for their domestic offerings. The US was a valuable and growing market for Mercedes for luxury mid and large sedans, most of which were fully equipped with the largest 6 and 8 cylinder powerplants as standard. It was clear that the company had to make some drastic changes in order to keep selling in the USA. Mercedes decided to go where it hand never gone before - into the Compact car market, with the proviso that a smaller Mercedes Benz must exhibit all the safety, quality and comfort their traditional customers expected of the company. Regardless of dimensions, the goal was it must drive like a Mercedes Benz. Isn't this great looking?

To bad they didn't build THIS in the 70's! One of the initial steps taken was to cannibalize one of their current mid-sized sedans by cutting length and width - and welding it back together to determine needed cabin space and possible exterior dimensions (above). Designers meanwhile rendered an exhaustive range of proposals, all of which were panned by chief designer Bruno Sacco - who basically put the teams on other projects to clear their minds before starting from scratch again. Mr. Sacco would also be credited with the creation of the now iconic w126 S Class and w124 E Class Series, both of which remaining to this day the most successful selling examples of their class. 99% There - C-Pillar Extractors and tail lights not quite done. The W201 would run for ten years with several variants and only minor stylistic changes. Introduced as a 1984 model in the United States, the car was universally praised for its quality, handling, economy and styling, unlike the mixed reactions to today's CLA250. BMW was certainly paying attention as sales of the 3 Series would certainly be affected.

The Final Version of the W201 Baby Benz 190 at Introduction. From 1984 through 1986, Mercedes offered the w201 in 4 cylinder gasoline and diesel models, both averaging over 30 mpg highway. Standard equipment levels were high for U.S. MB-Tex upholstery, air conditioning, automatic climate control, electric passenger mirror, driver's airbag, 4 wheel disc brakes, full alloys, central locking, tinted glass, real zebrano wood accents on the center console and electric sunroof. Unique to the w201 was a 5 multi-link rear axle at each rear wheel, endowing the smallest Mercedes with the best handling and cornering of all models offered. This breakthrough would be incorporated into all Mercedes as the 90's progressed. Fluted cornering and tail lights were designed to self-clean with rain and wind. For 1986 and 1987, Mercedes imported a slightly detuned version of its rallye racing variant, the 2.3-16 valve Cosworth, complete with track rear spoiler, ground effects air dams front sides and rear and a four place leather interior by Recaro.

The 2.5 version was Europe Only. Further race track versions called The Evolution were also introduced, featuring larger swept wheel arch flares, lower front and rear air dams and a very substantial rear wing. Semi flush headlights and a 2.6 badge on the trunk were the only external clues that this was a new model, but the interior now included standard electric front seats AND headrests. Leather was made available as an option and ABS brakes became standard. The dash speakers were also enlarged and redesigned. Minor interior enhancements were fitted to the line, including upgraded upholstery and moving a few switches to different locations; The sunroof switch moved from the dash to the roof, and the Up/Down electric antenna switch was deleted entirely. Lower body plastic cladding panels were now added in a variety of color to complement the paintwork. Sportline option package featured sport shocks, buckets. The 1990's saw the addition of a Sportline options package in the United States, which included leather interior with front bucket seats, a smaller diameter steering wheel and Bilstein-sourced sport shocks.