Auto news and reviews from Car Buyer's Notebook.com: Mercedes-Benz Archives

August 13, 2008

Mercedes-Benz to introduce Attention Assist

Stuttgart - Accident researchers at Mercedes-Benz are acutely aware of the danger in nodding off at the wheel (the "one-second nap"). In the view of these specialists, long holiday journeys without intermediate breaks involve a high risk of overtiredness, whose signs drivers often fail to notice in time.

For this reason Mercedes-Benz has developed the innovative driver support system Attention Assist. This is able to recognise driver fatigue at an early stage, and warn the driver that a break is called for soon. The system will enter series production in spring 2009.

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August 9, 2008

Europe's Luxury Car Makers Feel Pain

The shift among consumers to smaller, more fuel-efficient cars has spread to Europe's premium auto makers... "There appears to be a trend toward smaller engines and smaller cars which makes it difficult to sustain profitability at current levels," says Adam Jonas, pan-European auto analyst at Morgan Stanley.

Daimler Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche hinted last month that the company may launch some versions of the next-generation A-class and B-class compact cars in the U.S., expanding availability of Daimler's smaller cars. Last week, BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer said the company had canceled plans to produce an X7 SUV, in response to changing customer demands.

August 2, 2008

Mercedes-Benz Reports 11.6% Increase for July Sales

MONTVALE, N.J. -- Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) today reported sales of 20,733 new vehicles for July 2008, an 11.6 percent increase over last July.

This brings the year-to-date total to 140,012 units, marking a 2.3 percent increase over the same period last year and setting the new record for MBUSA year-to-date sales.

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August 1, 2008

Daimler AG Reports 25% Increase in July U.S. Sales

NEW YORK -- Daimler AG today reported sales for the Mercedes-Benz Cars division (Mercedes-Benz and smart combined) of 23,292 units in the U.S. for July 2008.

Mercedes-Benz USA today reported sales of 20,733 new vehicles for July 2008, a 12 percent increase over last July.

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July 22, 2008

Photographer Dan Lecca looks at Mercedes design

Claiming its place alongside Milan, Paris and New York, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin has become a top new global fashion event. This is not only evident by the mounting number of top international fashion designers on its runways and the growing contingent of celebrities appearing on its red carpets.

For the first time, American star photographer Dan Lecca has come to Berlin, as well. Regarded worldwide as the king of catwalk photography, Lecca is also the treasured resident photographer of several top designers, including Gucci, Calvin Klein and Marc Jacobs.

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July 20, 2008

The new Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class

Stuttgart - Following its world premiere at Auto China in April 2008, the Mercedes-Benz GLK is being unveiled in its natural habitat for the first time.

Boasting a body that is as practical as it is arrestingly succinct, an exceptional power spectrum and a bold personality, the new arrival has what it takes to redefine standards in the compact SUV class over all manner of route profiles - both on and off the road.

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July 19, 2008

Mercedes-Benz and fashion - a perfect match

Mercedes-Benz has been committed to fashion for over a decade, establishing itself as an experienced partner of major international fashion platforms.

The Stuttgart-based automaker is the title sponsor of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Weeks in Berlin, New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Mexico City, and supports numerous fashion events in Milan, Stockholm, Amsterdam and elsewhere in the world.

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July 15, 2008

Win a Smart ForTwo in School Raffle

LOWELL, Mass. -- ONE Lowell's raffle of a new 2008 smart fortwo will support its Lowell based anti-truancy program. The smart raffle is part of a larger fundraising event this summer, taking place on August 2nd and 3rd at Cawley Stadium and aptly titled ONE Lowell World Cup Soccer 2008.

This weekend of soccer features 16 international New England teams representing countries around the world. Event and smart raffle tickets can be purchased online http://www.onelowellsoccercup.org/.

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July 14, 2008

Mercedes Sponsors Fashion Award

Stuttgart/Berlin -- As part of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin Spring/Summer 2009, the ELLE Fashion Star award, the 'Mercedes,' will be conferred for the first time on July 19, 2008.

The new award will honour exceptional personalities in the international fashion scene in three categories: Platinum, Best Collection and Newcomer.

In an extraordinary fashion show, top international models will present fashions exclusively designed for ELLE as well as selected favourites of renowned designers including Chanel, Armani, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and Jil Sander.

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July 12, 2008

Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG Black Series

Affalterbach - Sensational appearance, unique performance data, with light-weight design throughout and total exclusivity - that's the new Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG Black Series.

This high-performance coupé is a motorsport engineering thoroughbred, opening up new drive dynamic vistas to sports car enthusiasts.

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July 7, 2008

smart car celebrates 10th anniversary

On July 2, 1998, a vehicle with an entirely new concept first rolled off the assembly line: the smart fortwo.

On that date an extraordinary success story commenced in Hambach, France. Until now, the compact two-seater has become the vehicle of choice of more than 900,000 customers in 37 countries.

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Mercedes-Benz Cars increases sales by eight percent in first half of 2008

The Mercedes-Benz Cars division posted considerable sales growth in the first half of the year. Deliveries of Mercedes-Benz, AMG, smart, and Maybach brand vehicles rose by eight percent in the first six months of the year, setting a new sales record of 668,100 units (January - June 2007: 617,700 units).

The Mercedes-Benz brand also posted a new record from January to June, with sales rising by four percent to 599,200 vehicles (same period last year: 575,700 units).

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July 3, 2008

Daimler's U.S. Sales Rise on Small Cars

Daimler AG's June U.S. sales rose because of its new Smart two-seat car, while Bayerische Motoren Werke AG's Mini small cars posted a gain as the company sold fewer luxury vehicles amid a worsening economy.

U.S. sales for Daimler were up 13 percent from a year earlier to 22,121, including 2,545 Smart cars, the Stuttgart, Germany-based company said in a statement. Its Mercedes-Benz luxury brand reported a drop of less than 1 percent to 19,576.

Mini sales climbed 25 percent to 5,211 cars, Munich-based BMW said in a statement. The company's total fell 11 percent to 26,155 vehicles, as the BMW brand slid 17 percent to 20,994.

``BMW sales in June were probably also impacted by the stock market and declining home values,'' said John Wolkonowicz, an automotive analyst at Global Insight Inc. in Lexington, Massachusetts. ``BMW's buyers are younger than Mercedes buyers, causing them to feel the pinch more from their declining stock portfolio and home equity.''

July 1, 2008

Mercedes-Benz Reports 19,576 New Vehicle Sales for June

MONTVALE, N.J. -- Mercedes-Benz USA today reported sales of 19,576 new vehicles for June 2008, bringing the year-to-date total to 119,279 units, marking the best sales for the first half of any year company's history.

Highlights for the month include a 25.1 percent increase (5,977 vs. 4,776 units) in sales for the company's volume-leading C-Class.

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June 29, 2008

Survey: Mercedes C-Class has 'APEAL'

Once again, as last year, the premium products of Mercedes-Benz have emerged among the winners of a consumer survey carried out by the renowned US market research institute J.D. Power and Associates.

With the results of this year's "APEAL" study, US consumers have once again confirmed the extremely high design and concept quality of the Stuttgart-based automotive brand.

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Mercedes-Benz brings diesel SUVs with AdBlue injection to U.S.

In October 2006, Mercedes-Benz was the first manufacturer to begin a BlueTEC offensive within the U.S. passenger vehicle segment to coincide with the introduction of ultra low-sulfur diesel fuel.

The E320 BlueTEC was a huge success right from the beginning and was voted "2007 World Green Car of the Year".

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June 23, 2008

Red Carter Named 'Mercedes-Benz Presents' Designer

MIAMI -- Red Carter, known for his sophisticated, sexy swimwear, has been selected as the "Mercedes-Benz Presents" designer for this season's Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim.

Red Carter will debut his Spring 2009 collection on July 19th at 10pm, at Cabana Grande at The Raleigh Hotel.

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iPhone your Mercedes

Stuttgart - Whether it be a quick call to a business colleague for an important discussion, listening to favourite music tracks or checking home and office e-mails whilst on the move - the Apple iPhone is a leading-edge business tool with multimedia capability, available in Germany and other markets.

Now Mercedes-Benz allows the iPhone connection to be fully integrated into the vehicle architecture for the first time - once again pointing the way ahead for the automotive industry. The new Apple iPhone cradle allows simple switching between the telephone and audio functions.

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June 17, 2008

Daimler to Start New Share Buyback Program

STUTTGART, Germany -- For the further optimization of Daimler's capital structure, the Board of Management of the company decided to carry out a new share buyback program. The Supervisory Board of Daimler AG has approved this decision.

In exercise of the authorization granted by the Annual Meeting of April 9, 2008, the decision of the Board of Management allows for the buyback of 10% or approximately 96.4 million of the outstanding shares for a maximum amount of euro 6 billion.

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June 14, 2008

Ford works with U of Mich on Transport Options

DEARBORN, Mich. - Ford Motor Company has announced it is working with researchers, academia, and public and private companies to develop long-term strategies to confront growing transportation and personal mobility challenges in large and increasingly congested metropolitan areas.

This announcement coincides with the release of the ninth annual Ford Sustainability Report and the 2008 Sustainable Mobility Summit hosted by University of Michigan (U-M) in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Wednesday and Thursday, June 11-12.

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June 10, 2008

Alanis Morissette partners with Mercedes-Benz Blue-Tec

Seven-time Grammy winning artist Alanis Morissette has partnered with Mercedes-Benz and its “Mixed Tape” online music magazine for “Underneath,” the first video/single from her highly anticipated new album Flavors of Entanglement (Maverick/Reprise Records).

Alanis, a strong supporter of environmental causes and organizations, chose the fuel-efficient Mercedes-Benz E320 BlueTEC for the music clip.

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June 9, 2008

Change at the Top of Daimler Communications

Hartmut Schick (46), since January 2002 Head of Global Communications of Daimler AG, will take over a new executive position within the operative business of the group. His new position will be announced shortly.

Prior to the career change to communications Schick, who is a graduate engineer, was active as Chief of Staff for the Chairman of the Board of Management. From 1997 to 1999, he built up the Mercedes-Benz Plant in Juiz de Fora, Brazil.

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June 8, 2008

Mercedes G 55 AMG Gets an Upgrade

Following its most recent makeover, the G 55 AMG from Mercedes-AMG is now even more attractive.

Boasting an upgraded performance of 373 kW/507 hp, this offroad classic has also been given a fresh look, incorporating a reworked radiator grille and new 19-inch AMG light-alloy wheels. Inside, the exclusive interior features the latest generation of telematics equipment and optional climatised seats in combination with designo leather upholstery for enhanced passenger comfort.

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June 7, 2008

Mercedes global sales up 10% on year

Stuttgart – The Mercedes-Benz Cars division - with the brands Mercedes-Benz, AMG, smart, and Maybach - sold a total of 111,100 vehicles in May 2008, a decrease of four percent from the 116,000 units sold in May 2007.

Unit sales over the first five months of the year rose ten percent at the division, however, reaching the new record level of 548,800 vehicles (January-May 2007: 500,500).

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June 5, 2008

Mercedes-Benz receives three awards for best product quality

Stuttgart - Mercedes-Benz is one of the most successful auto brands in
this year’s customer survey conducted by U.S. market research institute J.D. Power.

The Stuttgart car brand receives two gold awards for the highest vehicle quality in their respective market segments, and is also honoured for the world’s best production plant. This outstanding result is one outcome of the initiative launched by Mercedes-Benz to raise customer satisfaction and product quality.

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Report: Initial Auto Quality Improves Considerably

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. -- Initial quality in the automotive industry has improved significantly in 2008, with substantial gains demonstrated by nearly three-fourths of the 36 ranked nameplates, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Initial Quality Study (IQS) released today.

Overall quality improves to 118 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) in 2008, down from 125 PP100 in 2007.

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Report: Mercedes Plant Receives Award for Top Quality

LONDON -- The Mercedes-Benz Sindelfingen, Germany, plant receives the Platinum Plant Quality Award, while two other German plants also receive awards, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 U.S. Initial Quality Study(SM) (IQS) released today.

The Mercedes-Benz assembly plant in Sindelfingen, Germany, receives the Platinum Plant Quality Award for producing vehicles yielding the fewest defects and malfunctions.

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June 3, 2008

Mercedes-Benz Sets Another Record With Best May Sales

MONTVALE, N.J. -- Mercedes-Benz USA today reported its highest May on record with sales of 21,785 new vehicles, a 0.1 percent increase over last May.

Sales for the month brought MBUSA's year-to-date volume to 99,703 new vehicles, a 1.1 percent increase compared to the first five months of 2007.

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Daimler AG Reports 12% Increase in the U.S. for May 2008

NEW YORK -- Daimler AG today reported sales for Mercedes-Benz Cars division (Mercedes-Benz and smart combined) of 24,480 units in the U.S. for May 2008. All sales figures in this release are on an unadjusted basis unless otherwise noted.

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) reported its highest May on record with sales of 21,785 new vehicles, a 0.1 percent increase over last May.

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June 2, 2008

Success: Mercedes Sells 300,000 C-Classes in First Year

In the year since its market launch, the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class is continuing the success story of the predecessor model: more than 300,000 customers have purchased either a sedan or station wagon variant of the new model since it’s official introduction on March 31, 2007.

“The sedan got off to an excellent start, and since its premiere at dealerships at the end of last year, the new C-Class station wagon has also been enjoying high popularity,” says Dr. Klaus Maier, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing Mercedes-Benz Cars.

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May 30, 2008

Mercedes-Benz opens new advanced design studio in California

Stuttgart – Mercedes-Benz is moving its Southern Californian advanced design studio from Irvine to a newly-acquired, spacious facility near Carlsbad, in order to strengthen its creative base in the U.S. At the new Carlsbad facility, the styling masterminds pondering the car of the future have almost three times more space in which to realize their creative ideas.

Thus, Mercedes-Benz is underscoring the continually growing influence of the advanced design studio on the internationally-oriented design strategy of the world’s oldest vehicle manufacturer.

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Mercedes G-Class Celebrating 30th Anniversary in 2009

Stuttgart – It has been the definitive cross-country vehicle since 1979. It has won the Paris-Dakar Rally, is deemed a worthy means of transport for the Pope, ranks as an automotive design icon, is a serial winner of readers' polls and constitutes the gene pool for a Mercedes-Benz SUV family that now numbers four model series in all.

It is, of course – the G-Class. It has been in production for 29 years now, making the G-Class by far the longest-serving passenger car model series there has been since Mercedes-Benz came into existence in 1886.

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Mercedes Customer Center in Maastricht Celebrates 10th Anniversary

Stuttgart– Customer satisfaction and brand loyalty are major factors that contribute to Daimler AG’s long-standing success in the passenger car and commercial vehicle sectors.

Since its establishment in 1998, the Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Center (CAC) in the Dutch city of Maastrichthas been a key precondition for customer satisfaction.

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May 29, 2008

Garmin Announces New StreetPilot for Mercedes

SOUTHAMPTON, England -- Garmin, global leaders in portable satellite navigation, today announced Mercedes-Benz Accessories will continue its relationship with Garmin by selecting the nüvi 760 as their latest portable after market navigation solution.

The nüvi 760 named the 'StreetPilot III' by Mercedes-Benz, is customised with a specially designed mount for the new generation A-Class, B-Class and C-Class cars will be available at dealers across Europe May 2008.

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Cadillac Tops 2008 Vehicle Satisfaction Awards

TUSTIN, Calif. -- A study released today by noted automotive consulting firm AutoPacific, Inc. summarizes the results of its 2008 model year vehicle satisfaction research. AutoPacific's Vehicle Satisfaction Award (VSA) is an industry benchmark for objectively measuring how satisfied an owner is with their new passenger car or light truck.

In a year that promises to be the toughest in a decade, owner-based awards like AutoPacific's Vehicle Satisfaction Award will help customers make their purchase decisions.

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May 28, 2008

Mercedes Launches Sex and the City Minisite

Mercedes is already running TV commercials for their tie in with the Sex and the City film, and has also launched a minisite that trumpets the new GLK SUV that appears in the movie.

The minisite has a couple screensavers, wallpaper based on the image you see here and info about the movie and the GLK.

May 21, 2008

Mercedes-Benz Accessories presents 2008 Motorsports Collection

Stuttgart – The new 2008 Mercedes-Benz Motorsports Collection is the perfect outfit for a sporty appearance at the trackside. The Collection is now available from authorised Mercedes-Benz dealers in the product categories of Formula One, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, SLR, DTM, AMG and Accessories.

The range includes sporty and elegant clothing items for men and women, as well as high-quality sunglasses, watches and bags as useful accessories for the grandstand and driver areas – not to mention useful and beautifully designed items ranging from travel luggage and key-rings to model cars.

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May 20, 2008

Mercedes rolls out new A-Class

Stuttgart – With more than 500,000 units produced within three and a half years, the A-Class is among the bestsellers in the Mercedes-Benz passenger car range. Now the latest generation of this compact car is showing itself to be more youthful, attractive and environmentally compatible than ever before.

This is ensured by a completely revised design, high-grade appointments and new technical developments which further improve safety, comfort and economy.

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Mercedes-Benz B-Class better than ever

After three successful years, Mercedes-Benz has overhauled the design and engineering of the B-Class. The facelift programme focused on environmental compatibility, economic efficiency and comfort, with further advances being made in each of these areas.

Thanks to a series of detailed improvements, the four-cylinder engines now burn up to seven percent less fuel than previously, and distinguish themselves with remarkably low exhaust emissions that undercut the current EU limits by as much as 90 percent.

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Mercedes sponsors around the world sailing expedition

Stuttgart/Monaco – A globally unique environmental project was launched today at the Monaco Yacht Club when the biggest polar exploration sail boat ever built, the PANGAEA (Greek for "all earth"), was baptized by Mrs. Gaynor Rupert at a ceremony attended by H.S.H. Prince Albert II.

This marks the start of a four-year expedition around the world headed by adventurer Mike Horn and that is sponsored by exclusive partner and main sponsor, Mercedes-Benz.

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May 19, 2008

Mercedes-Benz Remembers Automotive Historian Beverly Rae Kimes

MONTVALE, N.J. -- Beverly Rae Kimes began writing about automotive history in 1963, after receiving a master's degree in journalism from Pennsylvania State University.

She wrote hundreds of articles and wrote or edited over twenty books in the field, including My Two Lives: Race Driver to Restaurateur with Rene. Dreyfus, the French racing champion of the thirties.

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Daimler Financial Services Hosting Volunteer Fair for Detroit Community Agencies

Daimler Financial Services Americas is hosting 12 Metro Detroit community service agencies in an effort to match-up employees with the agencies.

Every Daimler Financial employee is provided one day per calendar year of paid leave to participate in a personal community service activity. That day is in addition to a robust corporate Community Relations program that places large groups of employees working on community projects in Metro Detroit and other cities throughout the year.

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