Mercedes-Benz new entry level CLA-Class

Mercedes is touting its new CLA-Class as "a real Mercedes. But not as you know it." The new mid-size four-door coupe is designed to bring the three points into a new demographic of garages, broadening Mercedes' appeal to a younger generation of buyer. The CLA is essentially a baby CLS, which Mercedes says is Germany's best-selling luxury car. The four-door, based on last year's Concept Style Coupe, was revealed at a preview event on the night before this year's North American International Auto Show.

"We aim to reach new target groups with the CLA – including those who never wanted to drive a Mercedes," said Dr Joachim Schmidt, executive vice president Mercedes-Benz cars, sales and marketing, in a statement.

Mercedes pins those hopes on sporty styling that it refers to as "rebel" and "avant-garde." Like the Style Coupe concept, the CLA has a sporty flair defined by a sloped profile and interplay between concave and convex surfaces. Three distinct lines carved across the flanks team together to give the car a sophisticated, dynamic look.

Meanwhile, the rear quarter and its subtle haunches are designed to convey a sense of power to the eye, letting you know the CLA is ready to burst forward when rallied into action. The panoramic sunroof that connects front and rear windshields is available as an option.

The CLA-Class's flowing curves pay off with a drag coefficient of 0.23, which Mercedes says is the lowest of any series-production vehicle. Those airflow characteristics should ensure that the 208-hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder will be able to deliver riveting performance while getting the most out of the gas in the tank. The engine is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and available with a 4MATIC permanent all-wheel-drive system.

Mercedes uses a combination of McPherson strut suspension up front, independent multi-link suspension in back, electromechanical power steering, and flexible decoupling of the rear axle sub-frame to give the youthful CLA buyer a ride that should be lively and spry.

The CLA-Class comes standard with safety assistance systems, including the Attention Assist drowsiness detection and radar-based Collision Prevention Assist with adaptive Brake Assist. Other technologies like Blind Spot Assist and Lane Keeping Assist can be added optionally.

The CLA supports the connected lifestyle with Mercedes' mbrace2 connectivity platform that connects to the cloud for apps and concierge services. The car will also include Mercedes' new Apple Siri integration. A 5.8-inch display and Bluetooth come standard, and the optional 7-inch display with the Multimedia package brings the COMAND system with hard-drive navigation, voice control, an SD card slot, an in-dash 6-disc CD/DVD changer, a 10 GB music register, a rear-view camera and SiriusXM Traffic & Weather.

The CLA will become the entry point for the Mercedes-Benz brand when it goes on sale in September 2013 (4MATIC version in 2014), and Mercedes describes the price point as "unexpected." It will reveal just how unexpected in a Super Bowl commercial next month.

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Mercedes-Benz E-Class revealed

After four years in its present incarnation Mercedes-Benz has announced the new 2014 model year E-Class. Beloved of Chinese businessmen, Turkish cab drivers, Eurocrats and the discrete middle-classes the world over, the E-Class embodies Mercedes-Benz' brand values – comfort, practicality, technology, affordable luxury with a hint of sportiness, plus of course styling that suggests aspirations to higher levels of grandeur. For the 2014 model the exterior is a subtle break with the past whilst the underlying technology is a showcase for the future.

This is a conservative market sector and any changes must be sensitively applied. At first glance the vehicle looks to be no different but there are a number of significant changes. The standard “Luxury” version wears a familiar grill but the shape has been altered with the addition of sharper corners and a slightly more pronounced snout, in common with the rest of the range. For the “Sport” version an entirely new grill is fitted with an integral three-pointed star that mimics the SL and SLS sports cars.
The traditional double headlights have finally fused into one lens and there is a more pronounced front lip spoiler at the front. Full LED lights are available and the annoying always-on running lights persist. The Sport version gets the front splitter and rounded air intake treatment while an AMG styling pack is available for the full angular race car front end.


Along the side the stylized ‘Ponton’ wheel arch, that evoked cars of the fifties, has gone, to be replaced by a modern signature “slash” as seen on the new A and B classes. The side sill line has been lowered and the combined effect is to make vehicle look a little longer and less dumpy in the rear three-quarters. The Station Wagon body style in particular benefits from this change.
The rear of the vehicle was always an excellent form and the changes are simple tweaks to make it look a little wider.

The interior architecture will be home-from-home familiar to anybody who has been in a Mercedes in the past few years but there has been a little tidying in places plus the addition of additional trim pieces to harmonize and raise the perceived luxury to S-Class levels.

While the visual tweaks inside and out have been relatively subtle, the E-Class carries eleven newly-developed driver aid technologies under the banner of “Intelligent Drive.” The basis for all this is new state-of-the-art sensors and their associated algorithms. Mercedes-Benz has introduced the Stereo Multi-Purpose Camera which is located on the windshield near the rear-view mirror. This camera features two “eyes,” set at an angle of 45 degrees to produce a three-dimensional view of the area up to 55 yards (50 meters) in front of the vehicle and with an overall range of up to 550 yards (503 meters). The stereo camera gathers data for processing by various systems. They can detect vehicles driving in front, oncoming or crossing and evaluate this three-dimensional visual information to determine their speed and position. They can also identify pedestrians within a large field of vision.


Along with the Stereo Multi-Purpose Camera, Mercedes-Benz is also introducing a new version of the Multi-Mode Radar sensor system. COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST, a radar-based collision warning system with Adaptive Brake Assist is standard equipment on both the sedan and wagon. It helps to reduce significantly the risk of a rear-end collision. Also part of standard equipment is ATTENTION ASSIST, which now warns of inattentiveness and drowsiness across a wider range, and provides visual information on attention level and time driven since the last break.
Also available are a number of assistance systems that are either new or now feature significantly enhanced functionality:

• DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist can help the driver keep the vehicle centered in its lane and can semi-autonomously follow in-line traffic
• For the first time, the Brake Assist system BAS PLUS with Cross-Traffic Assist is able to detect crossing traffic and pedestrians, and boost the braking power applied by the driver accordingly
• The PRE-SAFE Brake can now detect pedestrians as well and initiate autonomous braking
• PRE-SAFE PLUS can identify an imminent rear-end collision and then prompt the PRE-SAFE system to trigger occupant protection measures that reduce the forces exerted on passengers. If the vehicle is stationary, it can also prevent secondary accidents in the event of a rear-end collision by applying the brakes
• Active Lane Keeping Assist can now detect when the adjacent lane is not clear, including the presence of oncoming traffic, overtaking vehicles, crash barriers etc. Under threat of a collision, even if the lane marking is not a solid line, the system can prevent the vehicle from leaving its lane unintentionally by applying the brakes on one side. This system pairs perfectly with Active Blind Spot Assist
• Adaptive Highbeam Assist PLUS allows high beam to remain permanently switched on without dazzling traffic by masking out other vehicles in the beams' cone of light
• Active Parking Assist enables automated parking with active steering and brake control in both parallel and perpendicular spaces
• The Surround View Camera will cover all four sides of the vehicle and enable a 360-degree view including virtual bird's-eye perspective; a top view of the vehicle and its immediate surroundings. Dynamic guide lines help during parking and maneuvering

The following Petrol, diesel and hybrid engine models are offered plus 4-wheel drive:

• E250 BlueTEC: 2.1-liter 4-cylinder turbodiesel: 190 hp
• E350 Sedan: direct-injection 3.5-liter V6: 302 hp
• E350 4MATIC Wagon: direct-injection 3.5-liter V6: 302 hp
• E400 HYBRID Sedan: electric motor and direct-injection 3.5-liter V6: 27 hp + 302 hp
• E550 4MATIC Sport Sedan: turbocharged direct-injection 5.5-liter V8: 402 hp.

Vehicles are on sale in early 2013. Prices will be announced at the Detroit auto show in January when the AMG E63 version will also be unveiled.

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Brutal Mercedes-Benz AMG SLS Black Series revealed

Due for its public debut at the upcoming Los Angeles motor show, Mercedes-Benz AMG has finally revealed images and details of the SLS Black Series. Ever since the gull-winged wonder was first released in 2010, enthusiasts and schoolboys have been anticipating the inevitable ultimate (road-going) version. It'll come as no surprise that the beast in question is wider, harder, faster, and completely awesome.

"The new SLS AMG Black Series is a perfect study in the one hundred percent transfer of technology and engineering from motorsport to road," says Ola Källenius, Chairman of Mercedes-AMG. "We have drawn inspiration from the worldwide success of the SLS AMG GT3 customer sport racing car on both a conceptual and a technological level. Boasting numerous lightweight components and fascinating dynamics, our fifth Black Series model guarantees pure, unadulterated 'Driving Performance.' The SLS AMG Black Series is the ultimate choice for fast laps and a highly emotional driving experience."

Fair enough Ola. The uprated AMG 6.3-liter V8 engine generates a power output of 622 hp and 468 lb-ft of torque making the SLS AMG Black Series the most powerful AMG high-performance automobile with a combustion engine. Only the planned SLS AMG Electric Drive with a maximum output of 740 hp has more power.

The vehicle accelerates to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds, and onward to a top speed of 196 mph (315 km/h). The additional 39 hp of power compared to the 583 hp delivered by the SLS AMG GT is courtesy of the following enhancements:

• Increase in maximum engine speed from 7,200 to 8,000 rpm
• Fully revised high-speed valve train with modified camshafts, adapted cam geometry and optimized bucket tappets featuring a special coating that is typically used on race vehicles
• Modification of the intake air ducting: de-throttling and adaptation to match the new maximum engine speed
• Adaptation of the engine mapping and increase in peak pressure

The AMG V8 engine in the SLS AMG Black Series also has an additional specialized mounting system. A gas-filled strut braces the eight-cylinder engine against the body, effectively eliminating undesired load shifts during highly-dynamic race-track driving (i.e. behaving like a loony).

With a curb weight of 3,417 pounds (1550 kg), the Black Series is not only 154 pounds lighter than the regular SLS, but unsurprisingly also attains the best power/weight ratio by far of all AMG Black Series vehicles to date. Numerous body parts, such as the hood, the rear panel behind the AMG sports bucket seats, the diagonal braces on the underbody and the torque tube between engine and transmission are made entirely from carbon-fiber. In contrast to its 58.6-pound counterpart with a sand-cast aluminum housing, the carbon-fiber torque tube weighs just 29.3 pounds. Carbon fiber components also replace a number of parts of the aluminum spaceframe, while a lithium-ion battery takes on the role of the conventional starter battery, saving an amazing 17.6 pounds – why don’t all cars have them?

Naturally the suspension has been modified for greater rigidity and a new lighter wheel design saves another 8.8 pounds of unsprung weight per corner.

Of course none of this engineering is of any use if the machine doesn’t look the part. The aforementioned wheels now carry 10.8 inch (front) and 12.8 inch (rear) wide sports tires that fill the widened arches. Front, rear and side skirts and a rear diffuser, all in a signature Black Series design style signal the vehicles intent. The package features extensive use of carbon fiber on the front splitter, side sills and rear skirt. The enlarged air intakes with carbon fiber “flics” also ensure optimum airflow into the cooling modules at the front. The rear wheel arches feature massive air-flow oulets.

As on the SLS AMG GT3 racer, the carbon-fiber hood features a central air outlet. Aside from effectively dissipating engine heat, this outlet also increases downforce at the front axle. The wing-like cross-fin and the star recessed into the radiator grille are finished in high-gloss black to match the exterior mirrors and the fins on the hood. The carbon-fiber insert on the sides with air outlet and a black fin is also reminiscent of the GT3; this feature helps reduce the temperature in the engine compartment.

If all of this isn’t quite extreme enough for you then you can option a massive carbon rear wing plus additional carbon flics at the front fro increased downforce, as the cars in the photos are wearing. Just the thing for the weekly shop.

It’s clear that a huge amount of real engineering development has been carried out over the past year to create what will be AMG’s flagship vehicle. It’s quite likely that many of these cars will be purchased simply as toys for posing, but its nice to know that you really are purchasing the closest thing to a GT3 racer for the road that will undoubtedly be a complete hoot on a track.

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