On December 8, 1982, the press and the public had a big surprise from the Mercedes-Benz.
The new 190 and 190 E were presented. It didn’t have any predecessor, it didn’t replace anything. It was just a beginning. The angular design of the car was a surprise and made other vehicles from the era to look outdated.

The big improvements in the safety area showed the world that the “Baby-Benz” was as safe as the big S-Class saloons. It started with two engine variants, one equipped with a carburetor, and another with mechanical fuel injection provided by Bosch.

In 1983, the 190 D and the 2.3-16 were introduced. The D had a 2.0-liter diesel engine that was very fuel-efficient at its 72 hp. The 2.3-16 gained respect for a few world records on the Nardo race-track in Italy. It achieved long-distance records for 25.000 km, 50.000 km and 25.000 miles with an average speed of 250 kph (155 mph). That performance was possible due to its 2.3-liter fuel-injected engine that had a 16 valves cylinder head architecture and offered 186 hp.

The new multilink rear suspension was revolutionary. Each rear wheel was led by an independent control arm. The system avoids unwanted steering movements of the wheel. As a plus, it offered more comfort and it was lighter than other rear suspension systems.