E200 Kompressor estate not a Kompressor

[EddieVanPoppel]

Hi
I went to purchase a 2005 E200 Kompressor Estate today.
During the test drive I couldn’t notice a turbo. Afterwards the dealer contacted his local MB dealership and said they had informed him the car didn’t have a Kompressor and was instead normally aspirated.
Is this likely ?
The V5 states it’s a Kompressor and it has the badge on the boot.
Any ideas please ?
Many thanks
Ed

 

[markjay]

What the dealer probably said was that the car did not have a turbo-charger, which is correct.

The Kompressor is a super-charger, not turbo-charger. It is belt-driven by the crankshaft pulley (as opposed to a turbocharger which is driven by the exhaust gasses).

The Kompressor mainly adds power at low rev, as opposed to a turbo-charger which kicks-in at high engine revs (hence why some turbo-charged cars suffer from 'turbo lag').

The super-charger does not make the typical turbo 'whistle' sound, and since it adds power mainly at low rev you won't feel a 'kick' at high rev in the same way a turbo-charged engine 'kicks'.

So you were correct in saying you did not 'notice a turbo'.

The E200 is equipped with the 4-cyl 1.8L super-charged M271 engine.

 

[markjay]

See also:


The Complete M271 Engine thread. ( Revised and Updated )

 

[EddieVanPoppel]

Many thanks Markjay.

 

[190]

The supercharger has a clutch which engages only when the extra power is needed. Driven very gently and at a steady cruise the supercharger is disengaged allowing better mpg. In theory a supercharger is less efficient than a turbo but MB had a long history of using them and honed the system to work well and be very reliable.

 

[EddieVanPoppel]

Thanks 190