Launched in 1993 as a replacement for the highly successful 190 range, the C-Class has become one of Mercedes’ main three nameplates, along with the E-Class and the flagship S-Class. Although the C-Class name was first used in 1993 with the launch of the W202 generation, Mercedes considers the 190 sedan as part of the C-Class family history and includes its sales in the total.
This is why total deliveries of the C-Class are stand at 10 million units since 1982, when the 190 launched. Of the total amount, more than 2.3 million units are from the current generation C-Class (W204) – sedans, estates and coupes altogether.
The sedan is preferred by customers in the U.S., South Africa and the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China), while the estate has great success in Europe and among business customers. As for the coupe, Mercedes-Benz says it tops the registration lists in virtually all markets, including the U.S., Germany and China.
“The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is a global success story. Sales of over 10 million C-Class cars speak for themselves. Launched as the ‘Baby Benz’, it is now one of the most popular cars in the premium segment,” said Dr Joachim Schmidt, executive vice president sales and marketing Mercedes-Benz Cars.
Starting next year, Mercedes will begin production of the fourth-generation C-Class, which will be the first model to be built on four continents: Europe (Bremen, Germany), Africa (East London, South Africa), Asia (Beijing, China) and North America (Tuscaloosa, USA).
By Dan Mihalascu
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