Question on South African Mercedes

[Bernsen]

I'm looking at a UK specs Mercedes C320, and really like the car a lot. I've only driven a LHD version in the USA, however, and I just learned that the UK version is produced in Africa. Is this a concern for someone looking for a German car? Is the car likely to be just as good as its German-built counterpart?

Thank you for any help.

Also, any word on the X-type yet?

[Junior]

Mercedes and the like have been outsourcing to other countries with a while. I know they've been building stuff in Vietnam as well. I don't know of they are just assembling components or manufacturing them as well there, but over the past few years it is common to outsource like that.

[WhipLash]

I don't know if its a concern or not, but Merc are not the only South African built 'German' cars! Both VW (Golf) and BMW (3-series) have plants there too.

AFAIK, the VW Golf is currently manufactured in both Belgium and South Africa. Apparently right hand drive models are sourced from both countries. Word has it that buyers should check the country of origin before buying and ensure that they are getting a Belgium built model.

BeCos has one of those new C-Classes - I'm sure he could give you a detailed account of how his car has performed to-date.

[WhipLash]

Originally posted by Bernsen


Also, any word on the X-type yet?

Here is some news on Jaguar and the X-type that might be of interest to you:

JAGUAR has drawn up secret plans to become Britain's biggest car producer within four years after the introduction of the X-type this summer.

The luxury-car company forms part of Ford's Premier Automotive Group (PAG). Ford is sticking to its claim that the X-type medium-sized car will boost production to 200,000, but insiders say the plan is ultimately for the group to build up to 400,000 cars a year. This figure will beat the nearest rival, Nissan, by about 150,000.

One Ford executive said: "It does make sense. If Jaguar is going to compete against the BMW 3 series and Mercedes S-class then its success will be measured in sales. Producing just 100,000 X-types a year will barely put a dent in their sales. It's a tough challenge but that's the plan."

Jaguar will not comment on the plans but executives at the group's Halewood plant, where the X-type is produced, have confirmed that the plant has a capacity of 300,000 cars a year. Halewood has begun production at about 100,000 a year.

This will more than double last year's total Jaguar sales in one swoop. But the group looks set to more than double production again by gradually increasing output at Halewood. It hopes to reach full capacity by 2005.

Jaguar production will be boosted further by the introduction of the new F-Type roadster in the next few years. There have been fears that the F-Type may actually be built in Germany, but Wolfgang Reitzle, head of the PAG, has stated that he hoped the new roadster would be built at Jaguar's headquarters at Browns Lane in Coventry.

Alongside a £40m government grant, Ford has invested £310m to transform Halewood, formerly home of the Ford Escort. Further investment of £390m is being spent on developing the new model.

The first hint of Jaguar's huge step to become the No1 British producer will come tomorrow when Ford unveils a new £240m investment at its engine plant in Bridgend, South Wales.


[Edited by WhipLash on 7th February 2001 at 14:37]

[Justin]

As far as I know, there have been mutterings about new C class build standards, not necessarily centred on the manufacturing origin, but it seems to make sense to go for a German one, if that option is available, which it may not be for RHD models. It seems that the new C, like the latest E, has not been overengineered with unnecessary Teutonic solidity like the previous models. That is not to say it is badly built, and it doesn't seem to be anything like as tatty as the ML was reported to be on introduction, but the message I have been getting (only from car mags) is that BMWs are now better built in terms of their interiors.

The X type isn't on sale in the UK yet and hasn't been tested by anyone yet, as far as I know. For the latest news I have seen on this, try http://www.autoexpress.co.uk.

I'd go for the X type, particularly if it is a company car (subject to a test drive and a few favourable reviews). But then I'd probably want a bigger car, if driving a saloon, and the S-Type is a bit of a sad old Morsemobile, which leaves the Audi A 6 (next!), the Merc E (too expensive with a decent V6, which the 240 doesn't have) or the 5 series - the 530i, the best mass market saloon there is. Oh, there are Saabs and Alfas and Volvos and the like, all of them likeable (Saab/Volvo) or quirky and interesting (Alfa) but not enough, boys, try again.

[WhipLash]

There's a brand new article on the X-Type to be found on 4Car. You can read the article here (http://www.4car.co.uk/jsp/main.jsp?lnk=220&storyid=672).