The W211 development program began in 1997, followed by design work. Before North American sales began, the car was shown in the 2002 movie Men in Black II. Launched in 2002 for the 2003 model year, the W211 E-Class was another evolution of the previous model. The C219, marketed as the CLS, was introduced as a niche model in 2005, based on W211 mechanicals. The Mercedes-Benz W211 is the third generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class made from 2001 to 2009 in sedan/saloon and station wagon/estate configurations – replacing the W210 E-Class models and superseded by the Mercedes-Benz W212 in 2009. 6-speed Sequentronic automated manual.
