Mercedes-Benz · 1983–1993
Mercedes-Benz W201
The Mercedes-Benz W201 is the internal designation for the Mercedes 190 series sedans, a range of front-engine, rear drive, five passenger, four-door sedans manufactured over a single generation, from 1983 to 1993 as the company's first compact class automobile. Designed by Bruno Sacco, head of styling at Mercedes-Benz from 1975 to 1999, the W201 debuted at the 1982 Paris Motor Show. Manufactured in both Bremen and Sindelfingen, Germany, production reached 1,879,629 over its eleven-year model life. The W201 introduced a 5-link rear suspension subsequently used in E and C class models, front and rear anti-roll bars, anti-dive and anti-squat geometry—as well as airbags, ABS brakes and seatbelt pretensioners. Its extensive use of light-weight high-strength steel enabled it to withstand a concrete barrier offset crash at 35 mph (56 km/h) without serious passenger injury or cabin deformation. Mercedes introduced a performance variant, marketed as the 190 E 2.3-16V, at the 1983 Frankfurt Motor Show.
Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Successor: Mercedes-Benz C-Class|Mercedes-Benz W202
All Mercedes-Benz W201 data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →
Specifications
- name
- Mercedes-Benz W201, (190, 190 E, 190 D)
- Manufacturer
- Daimler-Benz
- Production
- 1983 – 1993, 1,874,668 produced
- Assembly
- Germany: Bremen, Germany: Sindelfingen, Thailand: Thonburi (TAAP), South Africa: Pretoria (1992-1993)
- Designer
- Peter Pfeiffer, Bruno Sacco (1979)
- Class
- Compact executive car (D)
- Body style
- 4-door saloon
- Layout
- Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive
- Engine
- Petrol:, 1.7 – 2.3 L M102 I4, 2.3 – 2.5 L M102 16V I4, 2.6 – 3.2 L M103 I6, Diesel:, 2.0 – 2.2 L OM601 I4, 2.5 L OM602 I5, 2.5 L OM602 turbo I5
- Transmission
- 4-speed manual, 5-speed manual, 4-speed 4G-Tronic automatic
- Wheelbase
- 2665 mm
- Length
- 1982–88: 4420 mm, 1988–93: 4448 mm
- Width
- 1982–88: 1678 mm, 1988–93: 1690 mm
- Height
- 1982–88: 1390 mm, 1988–93: 1375 mm
- Kerb weight
- 1110-1300 kg
- Successor
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class (W202)
Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.
More photos
Sources
- Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q656750CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_W201CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1365136039 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mercedes-Benz_W201_front_20081128.jpgAttribution · Photo: Rudolf Stricker · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.