Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic
The Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic offers Mercedes luxury and AWD for about $40,000
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of photographing a 1959 Mercedes 220SE for a magazine. Because this was a detailed assignment, I spent several hours shooting the interior, engine bay, and the exterior of the car from every possible angle. I really got to know the car. And of course, I got to ride in it to several shooting locations. What I learned is that while Mercedes has progressed as much as any automaker in the intervening decades, the distinctive Mercedes experience has retained its flavor.
That experience boils down to comfort and the confidence that comes from driving a well-built automobile. The ’59 Mercedes looked great from every angle and felt as solid and stable on the road as the 2009 C300, at least as long as you didn’t try to drive it like a sports car. The C300 has more power, great sporty handling, and of course the new ride offers you a lot more in the way of features. And it still looks great from every angle.
The C300 4Matic is the latest edition of Mercedes’ C-class. These are the least expensive cars from Mercedes, but you don’t give up a single feature that really matters. The C300 offers you the same Bluetooth hands-free cell phone support, a great 6-disc and iPod-ready stereo, leather heated seats, navigation, power everything, dashboard data system, zone climate control, HID headlights, and every other feature you can name in a modern luxury car.
You also get a 3-liter DOHC V6 engine, making 228 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque. The C300 comes with a 7-speed automatic transmission. 7 smooth-shifting gears make the best use of every last one of the horsepower, so it drives like a more powerful car. And of course, you also get All Wheel Drive – a huge benefit in the middle of the worst Northwest winter in 40 years!
Mercedes says that the C300 gets 17 MPG in city driving and 25 on the highway. For the last 1,000 miles, no one has reset the average fuel economy meter in the onboard data system, so I can tell you that this particular C300 has maintained a solid 21 MPG in real world combination driving. Not bad for a larger displacement V6 with an automatic and AWD.
The interior of the C-class is nice. Where a more expensive line of cars would have a leather-covered dash, the C300 uses a rubberized plastic molding, but it’s well-made and the selection of piano black or optional walnut burl won’t shame anyone. There’s no cheap bling here – everything is elegant and dignified. My only gripe is that Mercedes seems to have adopted the twirl-and-click knob of BMW’s verdammt iDrive system. The Benz interface is easier and thus better than the BMW system, but I still prefer touch screens.
The base price of the C300 4Matic is an amazing $35,400. That’s a smokin’ deal on a great AWD sedan. It compares favorably to the Audi A4 and the BMW 3-series. But that’s before you’ve added a lot of the extras I’ve described above. Looking down the option list, the test car added $2,200 for fancy paint and the leather seats, $1,050 for a sunroof, $375 for iPod integration, $310 for the walnut trim, and $650 for TeleAid, which is an in-car service for M-B owners.
Mercedes-Benz Introduces New 2010 E-Class
Stephen Cannon, Vice President of Marketing, Mercedes-Benz USA, said: "In a tough market, the strength of the Mercedes-Benz brand - rooted in timeless design, craftsmanship and innovation - has enabled us to outperform both the market and the luxury segment."
"We're excited for a big launch of the ninth generation E-Class - the heart and soul of our brand," he added.
The new ninth generation E-Class would set the standard in terms of safety, comfort and advanced technology in the luxury market segment, the company said. The E-Class line-up would go on sale in the US, featuring the E350 and E550 coupes and sedans, from June 22.
Mercedes-Benz US, headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey, is responsible for the sales, marketing and service of all Mercedes-Benz and Maybach products in the US.
2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class Spy Photos Emerge
Although we still have a good amount of time to wait before the next generation Mercedes M-Class is unveiled, spy photos of the 2012 model have begun to surface. As you would expect from a model roughly two years away from its unveiling, the ML is heavily disguised, leaving us to speculate what exactly is in store for the next version of the SUV.
Early rumors indicate a diesel-electric hybrid M-Class is in the works, a strong possibility considering a gas-electric hybrid M-Class should be arriving later this year. Other rumors indicate the model could receive a plug-in variant – one that features an 80hp (60kW) electric motor paired with a twin-turbocharged and direct-injected 3.5L V6 while boasting the ability to travel up to 18 miles on electric power alone.
At this point it's far too early to state specifics of the 2012 Mercedes ML, but it's safe to say the number one task Mercedes engineers face in developing the next M-Class is deciding how best to implement alternative drive systems and subsequently better the SUV's fuel efficiency.
2009 Mercedes Benz GL550 4Matic
I have to admit, out of all the GL550's features, I found myself playing with the push-button ride-height control the most. After I pulled into my driveway, I summoned my neighbor from his house to show him how it raises and lowers the vehicle at a push of a button. For some reason, he didn't really care. I know this technology has been around for a while and is not necessarily groundbreaking, but it's still fun.
The GL550's gas mileage, on the other hand, is not so much fun. On my 63-mile commute, at times I could swear I could see the gas gauge needle slowly moving toward empty. Thankfully, the large 26.4-gallon fuel capacity allows a range of over 450 miles, which limits your trips to the gas station. The 21" five-spoke AMG wheels, which are standard on the GL550, really look sharp below the big GL body without hurting the ride quality much.
2011 Mercedes Benz S-Class Coupe
Mercedes Benz has some major changes in store for its product line over the coming years, with several key models receiving facelifts and complete name changes. We have already seen this with the upcoming E-Class Coupe, which has replaced the CLK, and soon we will see the CL name phased out with the introduction of a facelifted model next year. The updated car will come in for the 2011 model year and go by the new name of 'S-Class Coupe'.
The current C216 CL was first introduced at the end of 2006 but prototypes for the facelifted version have been spotted testing in Germany as early as August last year. Earlier this year we saw images of the high-performance AMG model but these latest shots depict the standard model. New details include a more upright grille highlighted with a single chrome bar, as well the new headlight design and LED accents.
In the rear we can clearly see full LED rear lights, a new bumper design and different shape exhaust tips. Other changes planned include new indicators in the side mirrors. This computer generated rendering gives us an accurate prediction of what the final version will most likely look like.
Mercedes is unlikely to change the CL’s powertrain lineup for the new S-Class Coupe, which means that the current assortment of V8 and V12 engines should remain. There could, however, be a number of modifications to the exhaust filtering systems to help improve emissions, as well as the introduction of engine stop-start and direct-injection technologies.
Mercedes Benz could go Electric
Normally, electric and fuel cell concept vehicles do little to excite many gear-heads; but, when Mercedes Benz has something new, it is worth taking notice. Let me put it another way, if we are about to embark on greener, less conventional thinking for our transportation needs – I would rather have Mercedes Benz at the forefront.
Here’s the press release:
Mercedes-Benz presents a modular drive concept for electric vehicles: Mercedes-Benz Concept BlueZERO: three-fold proof of the everyday practicality of zero-emission vehicles
Stuttgart – Mercedes-Benz is showing the way ahead in environmentally responsible electromobility by presenting its near-series Concept BlueZERO at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Based on a single vehicle architecture, this intelligent, modular concept allows three models with different drive configurations, all of which are able to meet customer requirements in terms of sustainable mobility: 
• the BlueZERO E-CELL with battery-electric drive and a range of up to 200 kilometers using electric drive alone
• the BlueZERO F-CELL (fuel cell) with a range of well over 400 kilometers using electric drive
• the BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS with electric drive and additional internal combustion engine as power generator (range extender). This version has an overall range of up to 600 kilometers and can cover a distance of up to 100 kilometers using electric drive alone.
The three BlueZERO variants are based on the unique sandwich-floor architecture which Mercedes-Benz introduced some ten years ago, initially for the A-Class and then for the B-Class, one of the aims being to integrate alternative drive systems. Advantages of the modified construction include the positive effect of the major drive components on the centre of gravity, their space-saving design, and the fact that they are extremely well protected within the vehicle underbody. The five-seater BlueZERO concept cars also set standards in terms of lightweight design, interior layout, and body form.
"The flexible BlueZERO concept allows electromobility for every requirement and highlights the fact that Mercedes-Benz is the world's only car manufacturer to already have in place all the key technologies for electric cars offering full everyday practicality", says Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.jpg)