Quote:
Originally Posted by bum-man  Does Mercedes outsource their CVT's? |
Yes, the CVT gearbox is a ZF unit.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bum-man I'm just boggled as to why Mercedes hasn't put this engine in the C-class yet. |
The "sandwich floor" platform of the A and B-Class results in an unusually shaped engine bay. As a result the engines are a different design and do not fit in other Mercedes-Benz cars.
Whilst Eckard Cordes was in charge of the Mercedes Car Group there was a debate over the future of the A-Class, B-Class and C-Class Sport Coupe which went by the name of "Small Car Strategy". The A/B-Class platform is very expensive to manufacture and demands unique engines and gearboxes. Some of the options discussed were:
1. Continue with a unique A/B-Class platform with unique engines.
2. Replace A/B-Class with a new car (a conventional hatchback like the VW Golf or the BMW 1-Series).
3. Replace the A/B-Class with a car built on a platform from and using the engines of another manufacturer.
Unfortunately I don't know what the final outcome of the review was or even if it was completed when Cordes suddenly quit. However, we do know that the C-Class Sport Coupe was cancelled and then resurrected at the last minute albeit as a facelifted version of the old CL203 rather than an all new model.