Category: Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz has given its midsize E-Class model a thorough working over in many areas, with quite a few items once seen on the very expensive S-Class now fitted to its smaller brother. There’s also a Sport Edition package that’ only offered in limited numbers, more about it in a moment. A new design turbo-diesel inline-six engine in the E 350 d lifts power from 190kW to 210kW. The petrol-powered six-cylinder E 450 4MATIC models now have 270kW and 500Nm, up 25kW and 20Nm on the previous series. All models in… Read more

Hi, Mercedes, what’s the go? The ’go’ is that the German maker of prestige cars wants buyers of its latest A-Class to treat the compact as their new best friend. A new level of human / machine interaction through MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience), can be activated by saying ‘Hi Mercedes’ to gain access to important functions, destination details, phone calls, music choices, as well as the ability to write and hear messages. I asked MBUX a question in one of the two phrases I remember from O-level German. Disappointingly, no… Read more

The new Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe and Cabriolet are now on sale in Australia. Both feature a long list of standard equipment as seen not only in the Mercedes-Benz S-Class saloon, but also from the flagship of the German prestige range, the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class. Mercedes S 560 Coupe and Cabriolet have front Active Multi-contour Seats that use inflatable chambers to provide adjustable lateral and lumbar support, including a lumbar massage function. Active lateral bolsters adjust to support occupants during cornering. High quaintly Nappa leather trim is used in both vehicles. Energising… Read more

Mercedes-Benz CLS is a four-door coupe that has been a big seller in Australia almost since day one in 2003. At the time it created quite a sensation as it was argued by purists that a four-door car could not be called a coupe. The introduction of the stylish CLS resulted in a rethink of the definition, and we now have coupes with two, three, four or five doors. STYLING The third generation of the Mercedes-Benz four-door CLS Coupe pioneers a new design theme for the prestige car maker. It’s… Read more

A new Mercedes-Benz A-Class will be launched here in August and the importer has provided us initial details. INFOTAINMENT A major feature will be MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) with intelligent voice control and natural language comprehension. This is activated by saying “Hey Mercedes” to give you access to infotainment functions, destination input, phone calls, music selection, as well as writing and hearing messages. MBUX can even anticipate what the user would like next. For instance, if you often telephones your mother on Tuesdays MBUX will give her telephone number as… Read more

Mercedes-Benz has added a lower cost model to the GLC SUV range. It has a 2.0-litre, turbo-petrol engine (135kW/300Nm), full-time rear-wheel-drive, rides on 19-inch alloy wheels and uses LED headlights. The Mercedes GLC 200 SUV has a recommended retail price of $61,990. This new Mercedes GLC 200 SUV replaces the previous GLC 220 d models, which were significantly more expensive at $67,500 for the GLC SUV and $78,500 for the Coupe. Standard on the new model are Parking Pilot with a 360-degree camera, Audio 20 entertainment system which includes seven-inch… Read more

Mercedes-Benz has entered the pickup-truck market in Australia with a range of X-Class four-door models featuring two- or four-wheel drive and a variety of equipment levels. Though we tend to associate Mercedes with upmarket passenger cars the German company has long had a strong presence in commercial vehicles, with vans, buses of various sizes and large trucks. All X-Class models are powered by a 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine that comes in in two formats; the Mercedes X 220 d has a single turbocharger with 120 kW and 403 Nm, the… Read more

Way back in the mid 1980s I ran hundreds of acceleration tests on a big variety of vehicles at the sadly now defunct Oran Park racetrack. I did the straight-line stuff while Modern Motor’s editor Barry Lake did hot laps. It seemed a bit silly to be photographed sitting in a huge 4WD with the aerodynamics of a house brick – the just launched Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen – but it was our policy to wear skid lids, so we did. I can’t remember what the zero to 100 km/h time was… Read more