

Design work on the W203 C-Class began in mid-1994, with the final design being approved in December 1995 by the executive board.[8] Design patents were filed on 20 April 1998 and 4 March 1999.[9][10] Testing began in 1997, with development concluding in 2000. The second generation C-Class was unveiled on March 21, 2000, going on sale starting in September 2000. The sedan debuted with a range of inline-four and V6 petrol engines and inline-four and -five diesels. Most of the engines were carried over from the W202, but the C 320 was exclusive, offering 160 kW (218 PS). The diesels now featured common rail direct fuel injection and variable geometry turbochargers. Six-speed manual gearboxes were now standard for the entire range, except the C 320. There was a version of this car that was made in Korea.