Premiere in the Aftermarket – a Brake Disc by Continental for the Mercedes-Benz C Class

September 14, 2016

• Workshops profit from a cost-effective alternative – and especially for the high-volume C Class vehicles

• The product line starts with Automechanika – other part numbers for the C, E and S Classes will follow from early 2017

• Quality feature – the brake discs already comply with the European standard ECE R90

Continental has presented a new solution for the independent aftermarket – for the first time, a product for replacing the brake discs of the current Mercedes-Benz C Class is now available for the trade and workshops – and in comparable original equipment (OE) quality. With its ATE brand, Continental is the first company in the market to offer a reference product for the patented two-piece OE brake disc concept. The future portfolio will include products for the C, E and S Classes. Continental will introduce the first spare part – a brake disc for the C Class front axle – at Automechanika. Available now, it already complies with the European standard ECE R90 for brake discs that comes into force in November 2016. Other parts for additional series will follow shortly.

With the brake disc by Continental, a product for replacing the brake discs of the current Mercedes-Benz C Class is now available for the first time for the trade and workshops in comparable original equipment (OE) quality. Photo: Continental
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Cost-effective and future-proof

“With this new solution for the automotive aftermarket, we have created an economical alternative for independent workshops,” says Peter Wagner, Vice President Independent Aftermarket and Managing Director of Continental Aftermarket. This is especially true in the case of the C Class: “The car has been on the road since 2014 and is one of today’s typical fleet vehicles – and you’ll see a huge number of them getting their brake discs regularly replaced on the hydraulic ramps of independent workshops.” This was the reasoning behind the new products – and the first brake disc for the front axle of the C Class has already been made available with more products for the C, E and S Class model series W/S/C 205, W/S 213, W 222, A/C 217 and X 253 to follow from early 2017. The program will include 15 part numbers altogether, covering the most common applications.

ATE products provide workshops with the highest possible degree of safety during the disc replacement procedure: The fixing screws necessary for simple and safe installation are included in the package contents. Since Continental supplies original equipment to the biggest car brands, the company only uses the latest OE materials for its aftermarket brake discs. The new coated brake discs for these Mercedes models have been put through many rigorous bench tests – and they have proved that they meet the OE quality requirements.

ECE seal of approval for the entire ATE portfolio of brakes

The ATE brake disc for the Mercedes C Class already meets the requirements of the European ECE R90 standard. The ECE R90 has been the benchmark for brake pad quality in the aftermarket since 1999 – and in November 2016, it will also come into force for brake discs for newly registered automobiles. Independent experts have intensively examined and tested the components and confirmed that they are totally safe. Yet another advantage of the ECE seal of approval is that it largely replaces the previously required General Operating Permit for vehicle spare parts, so drivers no longer need to keep a copy of the permit in the car. ATE is also keeping a keen eye on safety for the future with the rest of its brakes portfolio. Around 90 percent of all the discs of the ATE range of brakes sold by the company now have an ECE seal of approval – just in time for Automechanika.