THERE is a lot to be said for the practical nature of a station wagon, but for many there is not much to be said about a wagon’s style or the staid statement it makes. The market has gone off station wagons for years in preference to SUVs, but as the added fuel costs, emissions and maintenance costs begin to hit SUV owners, the tide may well turn. If it does, Mercedes-Benz is one company well placed to take advantage of the swing towards cars with its most recent addition to the C-class range, the C-class Estate. Here we test the C200 Kompressor.
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W203 C-class Estate
Released: October 2002
Ended: May 2008
Family Tree: C-ClassThe previous-generation Mercedes-Benz C-class Estate arrived Down Under in October 2002, almost two years after the W203 sedan upon which it was based. It came in supercharged 120kW/240Nm four-cylinder C200 Kompressor guise priced from $66,974, along with a 150kW/245Nm 2.5-litre V6 in the C230 from September 2005. Priced around $80,000, the latter came with a seven-speed auto, while the C200K scored a five-speed.
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