BENZ SUV PLUNGES INTO THICK OF THE ACTION

The hunt for the missing link is over; that’s the hope of the folk at Mercedes-Benz Australia. With sales of mid-size luxury SUVs roaring like a summer bush blaze, the German auto giant had, for some time, been missing in action due to the lack of a right-hand drive model Down Under. Now the Mercedes GLC has landed and it was hard to take the smiles off the faces of Aussie execs at the recent launch of the SUV, for it’s not been achieved without some serious chivvying at Benz… Read more

2015 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA SHOOTING BRAKE REVIEW

Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake is a good looking station wagon which complements the A-Class five-door hatch and four-door sedan. Interestingly, the CLA is similar in size to the recently superseded Mercedes C-Class. The all-new C-Class has increased in size leaving space for the A-Class. It may even be large enough to make space for a smaller model. Mercedes is creatively keen on providing something foe everyone in the prestige market. Our test car the past week was the $89,510 A 45 Mercedes-AMG hotshot. It has an incredible 265 kilowatts of… Read more

BIG BENZ COUPE CARVES OUT ITS OWN NICHE

Anybody who thinks the new Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe is a GLE just with a slicked-up body stuck on can think again. This is a different beast altogether, molding the best of two segments, coupe with a sports utility vehicle. Having driven both models within 24 hours of each other I can attest to this. Three variants have been pencilled in for Australia. They are the GLE 350d 4Matic Coupe, selling for $121,900, plus on-road costs; the GLE 450 AMG 4Matic at $141,900 and the AMG GLE 63 S 4Matic for… Read more

MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE IN NEW MERC SUV

The Mercedes-Benz GLE has repositioned itself, but it has done more than shuffled its feet and recrossed its legs. The model range continues to combine luxury appointments, state-of-the-art technology, versatility with the ruggedness of an SUV. To add to this the diesel models have taken up the 9G-Tronic automatic transmission and the innovative Dynamic Select handling system, as well as powerful, yet fuel efficient engines. On parade for the press around Melbourne and in the Yarra Valley were the entry-level GLE 250d, GLE 350d, with four-cylinder, V6 turbo-diesel V8 respectively…. Read more

MERCEDES-BENZ B 250 MIXES FUN WITH FUNCTION

The Mercedes B-Class has been on sale in Australia for almost a decade, having evolved from one of Benz’s cleverest products, the A-Class city car. The latter was one of the first little-big cars – managing to combine a small exterior with a deceptively large, strictly two-seat interior, largely through its tall body. The B-Class inherited many of these qualities but with a more conventional styling than its boxier older sibling, but nevertheless it’s still taller than the average five-door hatchback. The benefits include easy step-in access, a relatively high… Read more

MERCEDES BENZ SSK

1928 Mercedes-Benz SSK

The SSK – K from the German for short – was designed by Dr Ferdinand Porsche and was among the highest performance cars of the early 1920s produced anywhere in the world. This performance came from the supercharger with which the SSK was equipped. Mercedes developed supercharging technology for use in aero engines during the 1914-18 war as a means of dramatically increasing power without adding a great deal of weight. The last Mercedes cars designed by Paul Daimler before, in 1922, he left the company founded by his father… Read more

MERCEDES-AMG GT S: SIMPLY STUNNING

Mercedes-AMG’s all-new GT doesn’t replace the now discontinued SLS Gullwing coupe and its roadster brother. However, the new GT does share some platform components from the SLS, though it’s a smaller model. The SLS was AMG’s first ever full design project and was always going to be a limited edition. Mercedes-AMG Australia tells us no plans have been made at this stage about doing another SLS, nor are any expected in the near future. Obviously Mercedes-AMG isn’t going to reveal its future models, but the feeling we get is that… Read more

2015 MERCEDES-BENZ B 250 4MATIC REVIEW

Function seldom sits high on the list of priorities when it comes to car purchasing. Most people opt for style, or image, or prestige, even ego. Few go for sensible solutions to their motoring needs. Then there are the people who buy the Mercedes-Benz B-Class – in ever increasing number in recent years. It’s practical, with a tall body that makes for a spacious interior – you need a Mercedes S-Class saloon to get more rear legroom. It has a large boot and the variable luggage space can be arranged… Read more

MERCEDES-BENZ CLA SHOOTING BRAKE

Mercedes-Benz has added a third body style to its A-Class range. The CLA Shooting Brake, an interesting title for what others would call a station wagon, joins the existing five-door hatch and four-door sedan. It’s unusual for three versions of the same body to be offered to buyers, but given the overall style of the A-Class we can certainly understand the decision. Quite a large vehicle, the CLA Shooting Brake is similar in size to the recently superseded Mercedes C-Class models. However, the new C-Class has increased in size leaving… Read more

MERCEDES BENZ SSK

1928 Mercedes-Benz SSK

The SSK – K from the German for short – was designed by Dr Ferdinand Porsche and was among the highest performance cars of the early 1920s produced anywhere in the world. This performance came from the supercharger with which the SSK was equipped. Mercedes developed supercharging technology for use in aero engines during the 1914-18 war as a means of dramatically increasing power without adding a great deal of weight. The last Mercedes cars designed by Paul Daimler before, in 1922, he left the company founded by his father… Read more