Mercedes-Benz CLA verdict

In terms of cabin ambience and space, its interior lags behind the best you’d expect at this level. Likewise in performance, ride, handling and, dare we say it, appearance.

Despite its faults, the Mercedes-Benz CLA is a car that offers visual appeal in spades, but is far more attainable than the CLS which inspired it. Love the looks, and you’ll love the car.There are bits to like about the CLA. It’s an honest car to drive, for example, and it steers consistently. In fact, there’s a slightly old-fashioned feel to the way the CLA goes down the road that really isn’t unpleasant.

The thing is, sitting as it does on the far side of £30,000 – or vastly more once you’d popped some decent options aboard – there are classy, sophisticated alternatives from inside and outside Stuttgart that don’t leave you with an old-fashioned product.

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2014 Mercedes S-Class Coupe Live @ 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show

Along with the new Mercedes GLA, the German car maker are using the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show to showcase the Mercedes S-Class Coupe. Although it’s still at the concept stage, this coupe promises to be a major part of the German firm’s future line-up and it will complement the limousine-like Mercedes S-Class, which has been designed for comfort rather than performance. Mercedes are calling this concept “a concrete vision of the next model generation” so we can be pretty sure that what we’re seeing will make it to production.

This coupe’s more than a two-door version of the saloon, so there are hardly any design cues shared with the standard S-Class. In fact, the front end reminds us of the E-Class, particularly the grille, and there’s nothing S-Class about the tapered rear end and strong crease lines that run through the concept. The interior features frameless doors and a modern cockpit with 12 inch screens taken from the saloon and a new instrument panel. The seats are lined in calfskin, and the carpet and roof lining are made from silk, which has been hardened to provide a strong wearing carpet.

A 4.7-litre twin-turbo V-8 that develops 449bhp is found under the bonnet, and there’s a new suspension system that utilises cameras to model a three-dimensional view of the approaching road and then adapt the suspension setting to match the road surface.

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Mercedes Concept S-class Coupe previewed

The new Concept S-class Coupé, teased in a sketch released by Mercedes, will be unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show

More design sketches of the new Mercedes Concept S-class Coupé have leaked online, ahead of the car's debut at the Frankfurt motor show next week.
So far Mercedes-Benz has only confirmed that one, originally released on its Facebook page, is official.
The car, which had previously only been seen in disguised form and undergoing testing, will form part of a five-strong line-up for the new S-class and rival the Bentley Continental GT.
Mercedes is aiming for a sleeker, more muscular appearance for the S-class Coupé, eschewing the two-door saloon style of the CL it replaces.
Latest spy shots show the S-class with a narrow glasshouse and a dramatic swage line that runs from the front wing to the rear wheelarch.
The rear of the S-class Coupé features LED lights and a unique design that appears unrelated to any other Mercedes models, including the new S-class saloon.
A gentle sloping of the rear windscreen implies rear seat accommodation will remain a priority for the two-door car. Prominent exhaust pipes also hint at the more sporting intent of the coupé.
Further additions to the line-up will include a convertible based on the Ocean Drive concept and an extra-long-wheelbase version under the 'Pullman' name.
Mercedes-Benz's new coupé is expected to arrive in 2015, following a debut for the production car at next year's Geneva motor show.

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New Mercedes C-class partially revealed

 The new Mercedes C-class has been caught partially uncovered months before its official unveiling at the Geneva motor show next March.

The new C-class’s sides have been captured, revealing sharper creases and a much sportier appearance than on the current model.

Creating a car that appeals to younger buyers has been a key part of the brief for the new C-class, an insider revealed to Autocar earlier this year.

“We want once and for all to discard the idea that the C-class is a car bought by your grandfather, ” said a high-ranking Stuttgart-based official involved in the new car’s conception. “We have gone to extensive lengths to ensure it will meet the expectations of a younger generation of buyers, both visually and technically.”

The spy pictures also show the increase in size for the new C-class, a move that follows the introduction of the smaller CLA saloon in the Mercedes range. It’s about 100mm longer than the current car at an estimated 4700mm in length.

The result is a more elongated look, with a smoother, sportier profile and character lines that are a nod to both the CLA and the new S-class. The increase in size has also enabled larger rear doors to improve access and a longer wheelbase to improve room for the rear passengers.

The front and rear of the car remain shrouded, but it’s clear that the front end of the new C-class will look much more contemporary than the current car’s. It features a more upright grille, larger headlights and a sculpted bonnet.

At the rear, there’s a more defined bumper for an edgier look, and sleek tail-lamps that extend into the body sides to help contribute to an overall low, wide profile.

The new C-class, codenamed W205, is set to be the first Mercedes to use the firm’s new MRA (modular rear-drive architecture). Weight saving and improved dynamics are promised from this modular platform, which will eventually underpin everything up to an S-class in size.

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Mercedes GLK takes on every kind of surface in new video

Mercedes-Benz has released a new video starring its fierce GLK, the compact luxury crossover SUV from the three pointed star house which debuted in 2008 and still is one of the strongest and best-selling models of his segment after the 2012 cosmetic upgrade launched at the 2012 New York Auto Show and labelled ‘Model Year 2013′.

The model is currently available on the markets worldwide with an engine line-up made of six diesel models and one petrol engine. Five of them are four-culinder units: the GLK 200 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY (140 hp), the GLK 220 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY (170 hp), the GLK 220 CDI 4MATIC BlueEFFICIENCY (170 hp), the GLK 220 BlueTEC 4MATIC (170 hp) and the GLK 250 BlueTEC 4MATIC (204 hp). The other two are V6s: the GLK 350 CDI 4MATIC BlueEFFICIENCY (265 hp) and the range topping and only petrol option, the GLK 350 4MATIC BlueEFFICIENCY, which delivers 306 horsepower, can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.5 seconds and hit a top speed of 238 km/h.

In terms of aesthetics, the facelifted GLK is easily distinguishable from the previous model by the new front bumper fascia with newly-designed fog-lights and revised LED headlights. The wheels have also be refreshed as well as the taillights. GLK buyers will also have the opportunity to purchase an AMG Exterior Sports package that provides for AMG front and rear aprons, radiator grille with chrome accents, AMG LED daytime-driving lights, 19-inch AMG 5-spoke light-alloy wheels and sportier suspension.

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