Mercedes Confirms it Will Sell a Diesel-Electric Hybrid

Mercedes E-Class

Mercedes has announced that they plan on building an E300 Bluetec Hybrid starting later this year-representing the company's first foray into the world of diesel-electric hybrids. The car will reach European dealerships by early 2011. No word on whether or not Merc has any plans to release the vehicle in the States yet... so if you want it here, start making your voices heard now.

The car will be powered by the 2.2 liter, four cylinder, CDI engine from the E250. Reportedly Mercedes says the car can eek out more then 56 mpg. Granted that number is using British imperial gallons on the European test cycle. But, after doing the conversions and accounting for the fact that US EPA standard mpg estimates are usually 15% lower than European mpg estimates, we end up with roughly 40 mpg US. Considering how big and safe (read: heavy) the E300 is, that is certainly an impressive number.

Mercedes-Benz F800 hybrid at Geneva auto show 2010

In Canada, the purchase of a convertible would normally be considered an indulgence, what with its short warm season and inconsistent sunshine. Here in Mallorca, situated in the Mediterranean off the coast of Spain, a proper droptop is almost a Godgiven right, considering the 300 annual days of dazzling sun in which to develop a tan that would rival George Hamilton's. (Public service message alert: Always wear sunscreen!)

Into this milieu Mercedes-Benz drops its new E-Class Cabriolet. With the motto "Four seasons, four people," the company cites the 2011 model's innovative features that prolong top-down driving pleasure when weather and/or driving situations are less than ideal, plus the enhanced safety features and driving dynamics that could only come from a company whose products must contend with 200-kilo-metres-an-hour-plus autobahn speeds. And, yes, Mercedes does sweat those details -- the automaker has said that, thanks to the superior sound-deadening materials in its soft top and the amount of insulation packed into the car, it is possible to have a perfectly normal phone conversation (in hands-free mode, naturally) when travelling at more than 200 km/h.

Mercedes Targets To Sell Up To 1,700 C-class Units This Year

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia Sdn Bhd is targeting to sell 1,600 to 1,700 units of its C-class passenger car this year.

Vice president of sales and marketing for passenger cars, Florian Mueller, said the target was achievable as the C-class car had proven its capability in terms of sales in the previous years.

Speaking to reporters after the Mercedes-Benz C 250 CGI launch here today, Mueller said the new model was expected to contribute 15 per cent of the total sales of the C-class this year.

"For a start, we have received more than 80 pre-launching bookings of this new model," he said.

Mueller said Malaysians have started to believe in Mercedes-Benz cars which are produced locally (completely knocked down or CKD) rather than foreign-made models (completely built-up or CBU).

"This was well projected in sales last year when only 10 to 15 per cent of our total unit sales were contributed by the CBU cars," he said.

"We have proven that the Malaysian-made Mercedes-Benz does not lose in any aspect against the CBU cars," he added.

Mercedes-Benz F 800 Style Concept

Mercedes-Benz will make public long-held plans for a new entry-level four-door coupé at next month’s Geneva motor show, with the unveiling of the F800 Style.

The new four-door concept previews the styling, dimensions and packaging of a replacement for the CLC, which should reach UK showrooms by the end of 2013. Described to Autocar as a baby brother to the larger and more opulent CLS, the new car will form part of Mercedes-Benz’s next-generation A and B-class family.

Mercedes-Benz launches 2010 M-Class

Mercedes-Benz launched the 2010 M-Class in two variants for India. The Sport Edition of the M-Class is priced at Rs. 55 Lakhs while the Luxury Edition is priced at Rs. 60.9 lakhs Ex-showroom Delhi.

M-Class (Luxury & Sports): The M-Class is among the safest cars in its class. The Euro NCAP test results are confirmation about the safety concept of the M-Class. Equipped as standard with seven airbags, belt tensioners, belt-force limiters and crash-responsive NECK-PRO head restraints, the SUV ensures its occupants an excellent standard of protection in the event of an accident.

The M-Class is the first vehicle in its market segment anywhere in the world to be fitted as standard with the anticipatory occupant protection system PRE-SAFE®. The system makes use of the valuable seconds which elapse between a critical situation being identified and a possible impact ensuing, to instigate protective measures.

Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Mercedes S-Class is nearing the end of its product cycle. Despite its age, the technology-laden Benz flagship remains formidable, having bested the BMW 750Li and Audi A8 in a recent comparison of ours. Nevertheless, the engineers are working away at the next iteration S-Class, which our spy photographers caught testing in Europe.

The mule shown here is wearing parts from the current model and strategically placed camouflage, making details hard to spot. The most apparent change is the gap of the rear doors, which has a much different shape from the current car. We hear other changes will include smaller front lights and an upright grill, though the exterior surely won't be as radical as the F700 concept shown at the Frankfurt auto show in 2007.

2012 Mercedes-Benz S-class / S550 / S600 a " Spied

Next-gen Mercedes flagship caught out in the open . When Mercedes-Benz overhauls one of its core models, it doesna t mess around, and the next due for a replacement is the flagship S-class sedan.