Between 2003 and 2019, versions of the Alstom Coradia adapted for Italy and designed by Giugiaro were built as the “Meridian”. The first was the “Minuetto”, which was built as the electric ALe.501/502 and as the diesel-hydraulic ALn.501/502 and was bought by other railway companies in addition to the FS. The second generation is formed by the five-car ETR.245, which Trenord is using for the Malpensa Express since 2008. The third generation is operated under the brand name “Jazz”. There is the four-car ETR.324, the five-car ETR.425 and the six-car ETR.526.

The oldest variant of the Networker family that was built in series was the class 165. To distinguish it from the electric variants, it was later called “Networker Turbo”. They were ordered by Network SouthEast for service in the Thames Valley and Chiltern Region and are therefore also known as “Thames Turbos” and “Chiltern Turbos”.

The sets consist of two or three cars, all of which are powered. Under the floor of each car is a six-cylinder turbo diesel from Perkins with a displacement of 12.2 liters and an output of 350 hp. The power is transmitted to both axles of a bogie via a hydraulic gearbox from Voith. The top speed is basically 75 mph. 

The basic variant 165/0 was built 28 times as two-car sets and eleven times as three-car sets. Some of the trains use part of the London Underground lines and have therefore got the tripcock system. In addition, the class 165/1 was built 18 times as two-car sets and 19 times as three-car sets. These received a modified gear ratio for 90 mph and yaw dampers on the bogies to be used on main lines.

For longer distances, the class 166 was built from 1992, which, like the 165/1, can reach 90 mph. In addition to an adapted interior, this has air conditioning and additional toilets in contrast to the 165. Here 21 sets were created, all of which have three cars.

Since the privatization of British Railways, the trains have changed operators several times. Today all are owned by the Great Western Railway and Chiltern Railway. Later, many Class 165 trains also received air conditioning and interior modernization, while the first class compartments were partially replaced with second class. Some trains were moved to the Bristol area following the electrification of the Great Western Main Line, others were replaced with class 168 or class 180 diesel multiple units and then moved to more remote areas. To date, only one class 165 set has been scrapped after an accident.

The SNCF's largest order to date were the “Autorail à grande capacité” multiple units. The goal was to replace the previously locomotive-hauled TER trains in regional traffic. They are offered for diesel and electric traction, with the B 81500 and B 82500 combining both types of power. They can run sections with overhead lines electrically with an output of 1,900 kW, while two diesel engines with a total of 1,324 kW are used for non-electrified sections. While the B 81500 is only designed for 1,500 volts direct current and consists of three or four cars, the three-car B 82500 can also be used under 25,000 volts alternating current. All variants have a powered bogie at each end and Jakobs bogies between the cars.

The Desiro Classic represents the original design of the Desiro series. It was introduced in 2000 with the DB Regio class 642, which is still the largest operator of the Desiro Classic today. The vehicles each consist of two car bodies, which rest in the middle on a common Jakobs bogie. Each car is powered by an underfloor diesel engine from MAN or MTU, which is available with an output of 275, 315, 335 or 360 kW. Power is transmitted via a hydromechanical five-speed gearbox. The vehicles are equipped with fully automatic Scharfenberg couplings and can be operated with each other in multiple. A planned multiple operation with vehicles of the other DB series 64x was not implemented due to a lack of suitable software.

The trains are often used on branch lines on which the use of locomotive-hauled trains no longer made economic sense and some of which were about to be closed down. On some routes, such as the Gräfenberg Railway from Nuremberg to Gräfenberg, now only vehicles from this class are used that can run an optimal timetable for their performance profile. Thanks to the automatic couplings, it is possible to split the trains at the designated points and thus implement winging without the need for additional personnel. Depending on the operator and the route, the vehicles are used with different interior fittings. There are vehicles that have a total of 12 seats in first class and 98 seats in second class, as well as vehicles without first class.

In Germany, DB Regio operates 234 Desiro Classic and four other operators a total of 53 more. Abroad, the largest contingent consists of 120 examples of the Romanian CFR class 96, followed by 60 Austrian ones, which are used as class 5022. A total of 167 other vehicles can be found within Europe in Denmark, Greece, Slovenia and Hungary. Overseas, the sole operator is the North County Transit District, which operates a network in northern San Diego County, California. Twelve Desiro Classics are used there as NCTD Sprinters, which have been maintained by a consortium of Veolia and Bombardier since 2009. The vehicles have more powerful air conditioning and made negative headlines in 2013 due to a temporary shutdown due to excessive wear on the brakes.

The class 350, 360 and 380 multiple units were primarily developed for use under 25 kV AC from the overhead line. The first trains in this series were 21 class 360/1 four-car trains, delivered to First Great Eastern in 2003 and handed over to Greater Anglia in 2012. They were replaced by class 720s in 2020 and 2021 and have since been used by East Midlands Railway on the Midland Main Line. In return, they've received a smaller passenger capacity and a top speed of 110 mph. The class 360/2 are similar trains that have been used by Heathrow Connect between London Paddington and Heathrow since 2004 and have been operated by TfL Rail from 2018. However, they were replaced by the Class 345 and put into storage by September 2020.

The class 350 designates four-car trains that are used on faster regional connections. The first 30 sets were created from the 120 cars that were actually intended for the class 450/2 of the South Western Railways. They can be used with 25 kV AC from the overhead line as well as with 750 V DC via the third rail and have been approved for 110 instead of 100 mph since 2012. The total number of class 350 trains was brought to 87 with the class 350/2. These can only be used in the DC network and have also been allowed to run 110 mph since 2018. Very similar to the classes 350 and 360, but only equipped for use with AC via pantographs, is the class 380. Twenty-two three-car class 380/0 trains and 16 four-car class 380/1 trains were used for the non-realised Glasgow Airport Rail Link ordered and delivered between 2009 and 2011. They have a new, futuristic design at the front and are provided with gangways. These are now used by Abellio ScotRail on other routes in Scotland.

From 2001, several operators ordered multiple units with different types of power plant for use in Great Britain, which are combined by Siemens under the brand name Desiro UK and are adapted to the British loading gauge. They all reach a speed of 100 mph or more. In addition to a total of five electric series, there is the diesel-hydraulic class 185, which is described separately. It started with the multiple units for South Western Railways, which are used on the extensive 750 volt DC network in London and the areas south-west.

South Western's 2001 order was for a total of 785 cars, divided into three different variants, all with contact shoes for the third rail. These were 100 four-car Class 450/0 trains for outer suburban routes, 32 five-car Class 450/2 trains for inner-suburban routes and 45 five-car Class 444 express trains. As the existing platforms were too short for the five-car trains, the order for the 450/2 was cancelled. The order was converted to 30 four-car class 350/1 multiple units for Central Trains and ten additional 450/0s for South Western. The latter later received 17 more Class 450/0 trains. The 45 sets of class 444 are mainly used between London Waterloo and Portsmouth and their buffet car has a recess on the roof in which pantographs could be used later if necessary. These trains were built by Siemens in Vienna, all others in the former Uerdingen wagon factory.