Chapter7 lowres

Confidence shared

In the process of steering Mercedes-Benz back to its leading position among Germany’s premium car brands, an ever-growing number of youthful new models in new and existing segments are being bought to market.

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Previous: Permanent superiority. The M-Class is more distinctive and dynamic then ever, but at the same time significantly more economical. This noble off-road vehicle, which is built in Vance, Alabama in the USA completely reinterprets the SUV by adding comfort, luxury and some excellent technology. And it does so very successfully – Mercedes-Benz has sold more than a million examples of the vehicle.

Left: The B-Class revels in its track record. Its rear styling picks up on the flow of lines at the front and along the sides where a direct visual link is created by the tail light assemblies, whose upper edges merge with the character line along the vehicle’s sides.

D

esign could be viewed as an activity that

The 2005 S-Class (W221) continued the tradition with

translates an idea into a blueprint for something

its classic architecture and flowing silhouette, creating

useful. But no matter how beautiful or resourceful a

a modern air of sensual clarity with an intelligence that

design is it serves as little importance if it doesn’t fill a

speaks to the emotions. Since 1951, around 3,3 million

need. The second generation B-Class (W245) was seen

S-Class sales have made it the worldwide market

as a genuinely useful MPV - big enough for arduous

leader. Locally the 2006 S-Class reigned supreme

family duties - with lots of space, style and flexibility.

since introduction, clinching a market share of 45,6%

The B-class also embodied the Mercedes ethic of

in the 47 months leading up to the 2009 facelift.

engineering excellence, together with an endearing

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A combination

of

systems

ultra-modern turned

the

assistance

S‑Class

into

and

loyalty to the sandwich-floor construction of the original

protection

an

A-class, with its ‘just-in-case’ accommodation for the

‘intelligent’ driving partner that could see, feel, respond

apparatus of alternative-fuelled transportation.

reflexively and act independently to prevent accidents

Whether it’s an entry-level MPV or a premium

or mitigate their effects. For the first time Mercedes-

limousine, people all over the world recognise a

Benz also uses cameras in these systems to monitor

Mercedes-Benz straight away. The classic Mercedes

the car’s surroundings and interpret critical situations.

face runs like a golden thread through the brand’s

An entirely new Mercedes SLK (R171) was also

history and no other car conveys this effortless style

unveiled in 2004 and quickly established itself with a

more than the S-Class, which has always been an

worldwide market share of 22% by 2005, becoming the

expression of luxury and automotive grandeur of its era.

best selling car in its class. Locally, more than half of 4

Left: A new S-Class launch is a highly anticipated event and the 2005 model premiered clear lines and smooth surfaces to contrast with the dramatically swept front, distinctive wheel arches and projection headlamps.

Below: In side view, the new S-Class’s sporting genes are in evidence.

The lines of the body slope upwards from front to rear, conveying a sense of forward-flowing energy. Reinforced by the extended curvature of the roof, it gives the saloon an elegant, coupĂŠ-like, appearance.

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Left: The best or nothing – this motto is at the heart of the Mercedes-Benz philosophy, and also the guiding theme for this 2007 Formula One inspired face lifted SLK. It was the most economical petrol model in its class and also the safest roadster with its unrivalled range of safety features.

all premium compact roadsters sold were SLK’s. As a

automotive designs. It provided a unique combination

market first, it offered the AIRSCARF neck-level heating

of power and design for four adults and their luggage

system, which delivered a flow of warm air from the

whilst achieving the same visual sleekness and

headrests at the touch of a button. An extensive facelift

emotional sculpture of an exotic coupe.

followed in 2008 with the NTG 2.5 generation of audio

At the 2005 North American International Auto

telematics, which enabled mobile audio devices such

Show, Mercedes-Benz launched the second generation

as the iPod to be fully integrated into the audio system

M-Class (W164). Boasting ultra-modern engineering,

and operated from its control panel. The engine line-up

like the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic mated

consisted a supercharged four-cylinder, a V6 and a V8

4MATIC four-wheel drive, it was almost entirely new.

in the SLK 55 AMG.

It ushered in a vast improvement in build quality,

When the CLS (W219) launched it created a whole

with an entirely different body and a more sporting,

new segment in 2004, the four-door coupe and ushered

aerodynamic look. The high performance ML 55 AMG

in a stylish but practical car - lower and more rakish

version was credited as being the first ever high-

than their traditional saloon-shaped siblings. The CLS

performance SUV. Some 300,000 M-Class vehicles

and the rivals that eventually came to market were

were delivered globally before a facelifted model

pitched at those who craved sports car-like style but

appeared in 2008, which bought with it the ML 63 AMG

needed four-door practicality. The car won 170,000

- capable of accelerating from zero to 100 km/h in just

customers in 6 years, and was unlike any other car

5,0 seconds.

on the road - a rare exception in increasingly bland 7

Large Mercedes-Benz coupés have been synonymous 8

Left & Below: The Mercedes-Benz CLS was the first to implement the four-door coupe idea successfully. It attracted 170,000 customers in 6 years and opened a new market segment. On the streets, it appeared striking, and above all, unlike any other car and a rare exception in increasingly common automotive designs. Moreover, it realised the four-door coupe concept much better than any subsequent attempt. On the one hand, it preserved enough interior space for four adults and their luggage. On the other hand, it achieved the same visual sleekness and emotional sculpture of coupes. It’s a design that earns CLS a place in the classic car archives.

with style and exclusivity in the automotive industry for decades and the 2007 South African launch of the new CL coupé (C216) was the continuation of a coupé tradition going back more than 50 years. Considered a masterpiece among the luxury coupés it combined exclusivity,

charismatic

design

and

cutting-edge

technology. Just as the luxury coupé pointed the way to the future with its innovative technology, the design of the CL also set the mould for a new Mercedes-Benz style. Familiar Mercedes-Benz features were given a contemporary twist, resulting in a blend of the classic and contemporary. The CL 65 AMG high-performance coupé became the new flagship model, packing a 6.0-litre V12 biturbo using motorsport know-how to achieve 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds.

In a ‘more is more’ approach, the 2006 premium off-roader seven-seater GL-Class (X164) was bigger in almost all dimensions than the outgoing model.

It offered first-class handling on and off-road and pampered occupants with its spacious interior with the 9

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Left: With great engines, a classy image and top build quality; the Mercedes-Benz M-Class is a fine up market 4x4. The cabin is comfortable and spacious and there’s little wind or road noise, and even the diesel engines are exceptionally quiet all the time. The high driving position means that visibility is excellent, whilst the ride is very comfortable. Passenger space is excellent, both in the front and the back. The ML 55 AMG was the founder of the high-performance SUV segment and offered a level of driving performance previously unthinkable in this segment: it could accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 6.8 seconds, and had a top speed of 235 km/h.

comfort of a luxury saloon. The 4MATIC permanent four-wheel drive system provided the GL with firstclass handling on road and an accomplished drive in more demanding off-road conditions. The GL was built at the state-of-the-art Tuscaloosa plant in Alabama, alongside the M and R-Class. The launch GL models line-up all featured the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission with DIRECT SELECT. Locally, the partnership that exists between business and government plays a critical role in the social and economic life of our country and the automotive industry is one of the key growth sectors that have contributed to its overall economic growth. MercedesBenz has been part of the process of ensuring that this region becomes a major manufacturing industry, especially through increased investment as well as skills development.

To win the tender to build the C-Class (W204), the East London plant used its flexibility and ability to adapt to short-term changes in the model mix to 11

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Left: The CL-Class set the standard in terms of design and equipment, combining exemplary safety with an outstanding level of comfort and assured handling.

Below: The hallmark Mercedes-Benz radiator grille with its wide chrome louvres and the design of the C-pillar is a typical feature of the large Mercedes-Benz coupé who’s roots go back to the 1950s: fully retractable side windows uninterrupted by a B-pillar, and the large, curving panoramic rear window.

match the quality, cost and delivery of the Bremen and Sindelfingen plants. Planners from Germany and East London evaluated what the local plant needed to win the tender to produce the car locally. The stateof-the-art paint shop needed little modification, but the body shop needed to be re-built to accommodate a completely new assembly line to implement the standard assembly concept of the Mercedes-Benz global production network.

A number of ‘pre-production’ cars were produced by a small team of engineers in the run up receiving the quality certificate from Germany from that moment on, assembly began in officially, even though 2 000 had been built by the time the car was launched locally in 2007. Thabo Mbeki, the then President of South Africa, visited the plant to celebrate the production start with Daimler AG’s Rainer Schmückle and Dr. Hansgeorg Niefer.

Thabo Mbeki was quoted as saying “I am told that those who drive the Mercedes Benz C Class model say 13

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Left: The front-end design emphasised the solid nature of the GL. A steeply angled, robust radiator grille with a centrally positioned star that dominates the front view. Two powerful transverse louvres in silver with broad chrome highlights lend the vehicle a muscular look, along with a black honeycomb structure in the air intake opening below the bumper.

Below: The appearance of the GL leaves observers in no doubt as to the character of the luxurious new SUV: the premium off-roader from Mercedes-Benz displays size, robustness and muscular power as well as being sporty and dynamic in character.

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Left: The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is a global success story, with over 10 million of the model series delivered to customers around the world by August 2013. More than 2.3 million sedans, estates and coupes of the current model series alone have sold since it was unveiled in 2007.

it is a luxury car that exudes real class and in terms of quality and character is up there with the very best on the international stage. I have no reason not to believe them because the class and elegance that this vehicle represents are the qualities that communicate a message that we are capable, as South Africans, to produce products of the highest quality. The fact that this car has been assembled here in our country gives us South Africans reason to be proud. We are even more proud of the fact that the final products from this site will be distributed to different parts of the world, which will certainly redound to our reputation as an internationally competitive nation.�

From a heritage perspective, the 1995 the E-Class was the first Mercedes model to appear with the widely acclaimed twin-headlamp face – a highly symbolic design feature that characterised the identity of the E-Class. The design idiom remained fluid with the 2009 E-Class (W212) - and was adapted to suit the very self-confident, more masculine overall appearance 17

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Left: The innovative engineering and impressive efficiency of the C-Class have been inspiring our customers for more than 30 years. The new C-Class’s technical innovations included the AGILITY CONTROL package with selective damper control and ADAPTIVE BRAKE. Below Top: Nine C-Class local variants and four for the U.S. were built in East London, using thirty-five local companies for components. C-Class sedans sell extremely well in South Africa, US, and the BRIC countries.

Below Bottom: Modern technology, and the fact that the three C-Class plants are almost identical in design allowed engineers to visit Sindelfingen to see if the assembly process works in practice. After the final outgoing C-Class was built, preparation for the W204 began in earnest. The old assembly lines were stripped out and new ones put in.

of the sedan. The four ‘eyes’ were reinterpreted as rectangles, with a direct reference to the interesting geometrical shapes found in cubism. About 1.5 million sedans and estates of its predecessor have been delivered to customers since 2003. Over the past 60 years, the eight generations of the E-Class sedan have found ten million customers worldwide, making it the most successful business sedan in the world.

The previous Mercedes-Benz ML proved a big hit for the brand with its good looks and strong engines and some significant improvements came with the new M-Class (W166) in 2011. Effortlessly powerful, dynamic and expressive, but also efficient, refined and environmentally responsible, the new M-Class defined contemporary automobility. The entry-level ML300 CDI was replaced with a new four-cylinder 2.2-litre engine that produced the same power and torque as the outgoing model, but with fuel efficiency improved significantly, making it the most fuel-efficient SUV in its class. Motorway cruising elicits very little wind or road 19

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Left: The C-Class coupe tops the registration lists in virtually all markets, including those in the US, Germany and China. The C-Class is also one of the most popular models among business customers.

Below: The C-Class model series are not only in demand throughout the world – from 2014 they will also be the only Mercedes-Benz vehicles to be produced on four continents, being made at plants in East London, Bremen (Germany), Beijing (China) and Tuscaloosa (USA).

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Left & Below: The E-Class is an exemplary embodiment of the brand’s basic attributes of safety, comfort, and quality in the business class and has always been of great importance for the brand. Using inconspicuous E 63 AMG ‘mules’ from the previous series, test vehicles were subjected to high speed trials in Lesotho and Upington in South Africa for suspension tuning, radiator and cooler efficiency, the airflow through the engine compartment and the durability of all the components, culminating in the introduction in 2010 of the new E63 AMG.

noise and refinement and ride quality is very impressive.

A much better cabin both in terms of quality and onboard technology generates a premium feel that’s on par with its key rivals. More power comes with the ML 63 AMG 5.5-litre V8 biturbo engine with an output of 386 kW and 700 Nm of torque with a fuel consumption, in combined mode, of 11.8 l/100 km a saving of around 27% in comparison with its predecessor.

For many years the CLS remained the only fourdoor coupé in its class and since October 2004 it had been the car of choice for some 170,000. 2011 saw a new design language for the second generation of the CLS-Class (W218), characterised by its exciting design and refined sportiness. The new CLS was a whole generation ahead of the competition with its four-door coupé, which offers up a 25% lower fuel consumption. South African launch models included the 6-cylinder CLS 350 BlueEFFICIENCY and the V8 CLS500 BlueEFFICIENCY and AMG 63.

A truly surprising addition to the range was the 23

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Left: AMG is the embodiment of the Mercedes-Benz ambition to lead in ultimate driving performance and the ML 63 AMG electrifies from the start. The genes of Mercedes-Benz and AMG’s DNA of driving performance combines the best of both worlds: Exclusive high-performance cars to capture the hearts and minds of performance car enthusiasts and a compelling dynamic excellence. The ML 63 AMG is powered by the AMG 5.5-litre V8 biturbo engine, which offers a 0 to 100km/h time of 4.8 seconds, yet achieves a fuel consumption in combined mode of 11.8 l/100 km, some 27% lower than the predecessor model series.

Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake. Unequivocally a coupé profile with its long bonnet, narrow-look windows and sloping roof, it takes a second look to reveal that it actually has five doors and offers more in terms of function. The CLS Shooting Brake also lives up to its role as a design trendsetter thanks to the innovative nature of the materials used. These comprise a mixture of satin and high-gloss finishes used on the metal surfaces.

But environmental and society pressures mean family buyers especially, are embracing premium hatchbacks because they deliver space and practicality with the required luxury and ‘green’ credentials. The beauty of practicality is evident in the striking features of the current B-Class Compact Sports Tourer’ (W246). The B-Class is part premium hatchback, part crossover with its tall stance, raised seating position and enhanced interior space. With its state-of-the-art multimedia systems and finely appointed interior that spoils its occupants, the B-Class was built to be admired.

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Left: Extending well forward, the upright radiator grille of the Mercedes-Benz CLS highlights the long bonnet. The grille is dominated by the large central star, which underlines the car’s kinship with the other coupés of the brand.

Below Top: The proportions of the CLS Shooting Brake are unequivocally coupé – but in a new and unique guise featuring a long roof line and a seemingly endless roof contour line above the windows. The sleek rear end places the emphasis on width, with the airflow breakaway edge integrated in the roof spoiler extending far down. The tautly drawn-in D-pillars in conjunction with the shoulder muscle over the rear wheel arch present an athletic impression, particularly when the vehicle is viewed from the rear.

Below Bottom: While the hand-built engines usually steal the spotlight, the AMG approach to raising heart rates is anything but one-dimensional. The CLS63 AMG uses all the weapons in the engineering arsenal to create a high-performance driving experience that’s simply without equal.

Sleeker and more aggressive than its predecessors, it is one of the best premium hatchbacks money can buy thanks to quality and style with family-friendly space and practicality.

Since the first generation SLK was launched, it has won the enthusiasm of more than half a million customers. The 2011 SLK (R172) raised driving pleasure to a new level in its third edition with attributes that are normally considered to be irreconcilable: it combines light-footed sportiness and exciting open-air enjoyment with stylish comfort, a striking sports car design with full day-to-day suitability and peak performance with exemplary environmental compatibility. New-generation 4 and 6-cylinder engines with direct injection deliver top performance with exemplary ecology. Innovations have always been part of the successful history of the SLK and the transparent panoramic Vario-roof with MAGIC SKY CONTROL-, which can be switched to light, or dark- is just one example.

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Left: As a world first in the compact segment, the B-Class features a radar-based collision warning system with adaptive Brake Assist as standard, which lowers the risk of rear-end collisions. The COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST system gives a visual and acoustic warning to alert a possibly distracted driver to identified obstacles, and prepares Brake Assist for the most precise possible braking response. This is initiated as soon as the driver emphatically operates the brake pedal.

Below: The roof features a swage line which lends the vehicle a longer appearance and pronounced wheel arches are offset by dynamic feature lines under the beltline. The bottom edge of the body features side skirts, which adds a light touch to the vehicle’s appearance. High-quality materials and finely structured surfaces, stylish details, precision workmanship and a new spaciousness – the B-Class defines a whole new benchmark in the compact segment.

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Left: The SLK embodies the role of the trendsetter, and with its passionate design and high-quality interior, this roadster provides all-round driving pleasure. The wide radiator grille bears the Mercedes-Benz star in a prominent central position and displays a powerfully contoured fin, chromed at the front to resemble that of the legendary 190 SL from the 1950s, which is regarded by many as being the original ‘SLK’. Behind the long bonnet is a compact passenger compartment positioned far back, and a short tail end, combining its decidedly sporty character with outstanding comfort and high-grade appointments.

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