The SA-built Mercedes C-Class has been named as a World Car of the Year Finalist for 2023. Image: Mercedes-Benz.
SA-built Mercedes C-Class named as World Car of the Year finalist
The SA-built Mercedes C-Class goes up against the best as a World Car of the Year finalist in 2023. We couldn’t be prouder.
The SA-built Mercedes C-Class has been named as a World Car of the Year Finalist for 2023. Image: Mercedes-Benz.
Being named as a World Car of the Year finalist is no mean feat, and the SA-built Mercedes C-Class will hold the torch high for East London and South Africa. Bring it on.
SA-built Mercedes C-Class: Is it really South African?
You better believe it. The current W206 C-Class proceeds a history of quality cars produced in East London for a discerning global market. The factory opened in 1950, with vehicles from Nash, Packard, Fiat and Auto Union rolling off of the factory floor.
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Then, in 1958, the first Mercedes-Benz W120, W105 and W180 models were produced. Thereafter, the first C-Class (the W202) saw the light of day in 1994. This set in motion a legacy of Mercedes C-Class production that continues to this day.
SA-built Mercedes C-Class: Award winner
Soon the W203 to W205 would follow – and see the facility grow in both stature and reputation within the Mercedes-Benz network. The crescendo came when the facility won JD Power quality awards for six years in a row. This truly cemented its status as one of, if not the finest, production facility in the world.
R13 billion shot in the arm for South Africa
Thereafter, the SA-built Mercedes C-Class entered modernity, with the announcement that the W206 would be built in East London. A sizeable investment to the tune of R13 billion in the facility included a state-of-the-art paint and body shop, and upgrades to the assembly shop and logistic warehouses in 2018.
Embodying the spirit of ‘It is ours’
“For the C-Class at MBSA, it’s the spirit of yeyethu (Xhosa for “it is ours”) that embodies everything that has led to its construction. This ethos runs through everyone on the team; from factory floor to boardroom level.”
Dr Liebrecht Otto, Plant Project Leader, Mercedes-Benz SA.
As a result, East London’s best takes on the might of the rest as a 2023 World Car of the Year finalist. The full list of finalists is available here.
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