SPY: The 2014 Mercedes-Benz C-Class (W 205) - fresh shots from Germany

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After the first bunch of FEP spy shots which looked somewhat intriguing, the latest series of scoops with the forthcoming C-Class generation, captured in Stuttgart outside the Mercedes-Benz R&D Center, are again reheating the situation and building up enthusiasm in the fans' souls.

The new C-Class, slated to debut in spring 2014 at the Geneva Motor Show, will boast a new design identity for Mercedes-Benz. If the new S-Class coming this summer will be evolutionary in terms of design and will herald the advent of the real revolution. The mid-sized premium sedan sports a sporty, dramatic and unprecedented styling for Mercedes-Benz, judging by the shapes hidden underneath the thinner camouflage.

For more individuality, the three model lines of the new C-Class will be even more distinguishable than today, through dedicated detail customization of the exterior. Like the current series, the 205 generation will too continue to feature three exclusive front fascias as follows: the entry-level version displays a new chrome lamella grille with three grey, contrasting louvres; the Elegance variant boasts a new chrome lamella grille with three high-sheen black, contrasting louvres; the Avantgarde and AMG Sport Package models sport the dynamic Star grille in silver colour.

Although the entire philosophy is a bit unprecedented at Mercedes-Benz and highly controversial from many points of view, we cannot recognize the efforts paid by the designers led by Gorden Wagener to offer a new, distinct styling for the C-Class in addition to the firm desire of attracting new clients towards the Stuttgart-based constructor.

The interior lines, as seen in the scoops we published some long time ago (see HERE), continues the dynamic lines of the exterior. The dashboard will be an evolution of the latest interior designs - you shall find some traces of CLA, as well as new S-Class when you step inside the new C-Class.

The LCD screen for the infotainment system will no longer be integrated into the dashboard, like for the new A-Class and CLA-Class. A new arrangement of the controls on the center console will certainly improve functionality. The big slab that defines the mid section of the dashboard will be used for different, premium trim materials such as wood, metal, carbon fibre or leather.

The main technical highlights will be transferred from the S-Class. A new rear-driven MRA platform with enhanced dynamical capabilities will replace the current powertrain. Moreover, a new set of revised manual and automatic gearbox will further improve ride quality and efficiency levels. The engines that put the W 205 generation into motion will all feature ECO start/stop and direct injection for added economy and low emission levels. The entry-level model, the C 180 BlueEFFICIENCY (BE), starts at 122 hp and is followed by C 200 BE with 156 hp, the C 220 CDI BE with 170 hp, the C 250 BE with 211 hp, the C 250 CDI BE with 204 hp, the C 300 BlueTEC with 252 hp, probably the C 350 CDI BE with 265 hp, and finally the C 400 BE with V6 power and 333 hp. The range-topping C 63 AMG model is expected to debut towards 2015 (with the official premiere slated for the 2014 Paris motor show) and will be equipped with company's newly developed bi-turbocharged, 8-cylinder engine with a total displacement of 4.0 litres and rated at around 460-470 hp.

Image Credits: Gmotors.co.uk

Copyright © 2013, mercedesgla. All rights reserved.

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EURONICS branding for Gary Paffett and Christian Vietoris in the DTM

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Gary Paffett (31, England) and Christian Vietoris (23, Germany) will sport the logo of new Mercedes-Benz DTM sponsor partners EURONICS, as the 2013 DTM season gets underway at Hockenheim (3rd-5th May 2013). Paffett and Vietoris will make their first appearance together for EURONICS, one of Germany’s leading consumer electronics trading groups, as part of a nationwide television advertising campaign for the company. The TV ad featured for the first time on 23rd February 2013 at 6:24pm during Sportschau, ARD television’s flagship football programme. By the 1st March 2013, the commercial will have been aired a total of 116 times during programmes that enjoy consistently high ratings.

Paffett, DTM runner-up in 2012, will be at the wheel of the new EURONICS Mercedes AMG C-Coupé this season. Vietoris will compete in a EURONICS co-sponsored DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé. The EURONICS logo will also feature on the racing overalls of both drivers.

Vietoris, along with Mercedes-Benz team-mates Roberto Merhi (21, Spain), Robert Wickens (23, Canada) and Daniel Juncadella (21, Spain) is a member of the DTM junior team that was first established in 2012. 2013 marks his third season in the world’s most popular touring car series. This will be Paffett’s tenth DTM season – all of them contested at the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz DTM car. The 2005 champion is the most successful of the current crop of DTM drivers with a total of 19 DTM victories to his credit.

Credits: Daimler AG

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Mercedes-Benz DTM driver line-up for 2013

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Mercedes-Benz today announced its line-up of drivers for the 2013 DTM season. The three-pointed star will enter six DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupés this year in the world’s most popular touring car series. The aim of this move is to focus resources on a leaner, meaner DTM task force with the two experienced teams at HWA and Mücke Motorsport.

2012 DTM runner-up and 2005 champion Gary Paffett (31, England) will play a major role for Mercedes-Benz in the title hunt. His 19 DTM victories make him the most successful of the current crop of DTM drivers.

Ex-Formula 1 star Ralf Schumacher is about to embark on his sixth successive season in the DTM. With six F1 race wins, he ranks as the third-most successful German driver of all time at the highest level of the sport, entering the record books behind his brother Michael Schumacher and three-time world champion Sebastian Vettel. Ralf has been competing in the DTM since 2008.

Furthermore, Mercedes-Benz has added an extra driver to its DTM junior team. In addition to the current crop – Roberto Merhi (21, Spain), Christian Vietoris (23, Germany) and Robert Wickens (23, Canada) – Daniel Juncadella (21, Spain) will join the DTM junior team that was first established in 2012. This quartet of ‘young guns’ completes the driver line-up for Mercedes-Benz in the 2013 DTM season.

Junior team drivers will receive support from MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula 1 driver Nico Rosberg, who will mentor the youngsters. The successful Mercedes-Benz Junior Team of the 1990s that included Michael Schumacher, Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Karl Wendlinger might well serve as his inspiration. Schumacher competed in four DTM races as a junior, gaining experience in the world’s most popular international touring car series. In the course of their careers, these drivers all successfully made the transition to Formula 1. Frentzen and Wendlinger subsequently raced in the DTM.

Juncadella joins the DTM as the current Formula 3 Euro Series champion. The Spaniard used Mercedes-Benz Formula 3 engines from 2010 through to 2012, winning the prestigious 2011 Formula 3 Grand Prix in Macau. Last year was his best to date when he rounded off the season with a number of successes – the Formula 3 Euro Series title, plus victories in the Formula 3 Masters at Zandvoort and in the inaugural FIA Formula 3 Championship.

This year marks the start of their second DTM season for both Merhi and Wickens. Merhi has been a Mercedes-Benz protégé since 2008, and, like fellow Spanish driver Juncadella, won the Formula 3 Euro Series championship in a Dallara-Mercedes before graduating to the DTM.

This will be the third season in the DTM for Vietoris. His best DTM result was fourth place in the 2012 season-opener at Hockenheim.

Developing motor racing talent has a long history at Mercedes-Benz. Since the Formula 3 Euro Series was first introduced in 2003, eight drivers have won the championship title running Mercedes-Benz Formula 3 engines. Teams powered by Mercedes have secured the team championship nine times, winning 170 of 209 races in total. During the same period, 13 drivers who had previously competed in Formula 3 powered by Mercedes-Benz moved up into Formula 1, including current MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton, who won the 2005 Formula 3 Euro Series championship in a Dallara-Mercedes, having achieved 15 victories in 20 races.

Gary Paffett: “The new DTM season marks an anniversary for me. This will be my tenth season in the world’s most popular touring car series as a Mercedes-Benz driver. Last year, I led the standings from the opening race right through to the season finale at Hockenheim. Unfortunately, we didn’t have that bit of luck that would have seen us win the championship. Anyway, I’ll be pushing even harder this time and going all out for my second DTM title.”

Ralf Schumacher: “The 2013 season will be number six for me in the world’s most popular touring car series. I feel very much at home in the DTM and in the Mercedes-Benz family. I have set myself ambitious targets this year and have already embarked upon an intensive fitness programme as part of pre-season preparations. The DTM is more competitive than ever before and experienced tremendous growth in its fan base last year, showing the enormous popularity that this racing series enjoys among motor racing enthusiasts everywhere. I am particularly looking forward to the new race in Moscow and DTM expansion into virgin territory.”

Daniel Juncadella: “My DTM debut is like a dream come true. I cannot wait for the season opener at Hockenheim. I’ll be lining up for my first DTM race in a Mercedes AMG C-Coupé. I would like to offer my thanks especially to Mercedes-Benz, since my success in recent years – and consequently this move up into the DTM – would not have been possible if it had not been for their junior programme and their support. I will now do my level best to maintain the confidence placed in me.”

Roberto Merhi: “I am very proud to again be part of the Mercedes-Benz family in the upcoming season. I learned a great deal in the DTM during my debut year and would like to use that experience to bring about consistent improvements and achieve better results this season. Congratulations to Daniel on his move up into the DTM. We were team-mates in the Formula 3 Euro Series at Prema Powerteam, and I look forward to continuing our scraps in the DTM.”

Christian Vietoris: “This season will be my third in the DTM; however, as a member of the junior team, I am one of the more experienced DTM drivers, which means, of course, that I now expect to achieve more than I did these past two years. My goal this season is to secure a couple of podiums.”

Robert Wickens: “The DTM is one of the world’s best and most popular racing series, and I am very pleased that Mercedes-Benz has given me the chance again this year to see how I measure up against the best touring car drivers, competing at the highest level. I know that I have a lot to learn for 2013 but Mercedes has given me the opportunity to learn as fast as possible. I can’t wait to progress to the next stage this year.”

Nico Rosberg: “The Mercedes-Benz Junior Team in the DTM is a very exciting and important initiative, giving young drivers the chance to compete in motor sport at the highest level. I’ve been close to the DTM for many years, as a young boy at my father’s side to begin with, then as a driver contesting the junior series as part of the support programme, and now I have taken the wheel of various Mercedes-Benz DTM cars on a number of occasions. I am looking forward to following their progress this season and can maybe give the young guns a tip or two. I wish them all the best and every success.”

Toto Wolff: “Developing young talent has a long history at Mercedes-Benz, so it is entirely logical to increase the size of our DTM junior team in this second year and welcome a fourth driver to the team: Daniel Juncadella. Roberto Merhi, Christian Vietoris and Robert Wickens were faced with an extremely difficult challenge in their first year with the new generation of vehicles but did extremely well. So, there was never any doubt that they would continue their training in 2013. That too is part of a successful youth development programme. We would wish to offer our thanks to Nico Rosberg. Despite a strenuous and time-consuming Formula 1 programme, he will take time out once in a while to support our young DTM drivers and give them help and assistance. We have two seasoned and very experienced racing drivers in the squad – Gary Paffett and Ralf Schumacher – who will also act as guides to our youngsters both from a racing and human perspective. With the aim of making the best possible use of resources in mind, we have decided to race six DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupés this year. We hope to gain more flexibility in the development of our vehicles by focusing on six cars and using resources more efficiently.”

Credits: Daimler AG

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AM Awards 2013: The A-Class wins AM New Car of the Year

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The new A-Class was announced as ‘AM New Car of the Year’ at last night’s prestigious AM Awards.

Tim Rose, Managing Editor of AM, commented: ‘The new A-Class has the style, dynamism and technology that's required to punch its weight in this highly competitive sub-segment. It’s an all-round performer and just the product that Mercedes-Benz dealers need to entice new customers into their showrooms.’

The announcement of the win for the new A-Class has added to the momentum behind the new model which has been met by significant demand not just in the UK but throughout Europe, with 90,000 pre-orders for the car ahead of its market introduction.

Marcus Breitschwerdt, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz UK commented: ‘This is a significant win that reflects not only our investment in innovation but also our commitment to listening to existing and potential customers and giving them exactly what they want. We have an exciting year ahead for the new A-Class, and this is a great start.’

‘From the innovative interactive marketing campaign through the style and technology packed into the car itself, to how our network is marketing and selling this great car, everything about the way we’re approaching the A-Class is new. This Award is great recognition of those efforts.’

First deliveries of the new A-Class commenced in January following on from a series of innovative and vibrant regional roadshows throughout 2012, raising awareness among potential buyers and demonstrating its bold new direction as well as its advanced comfort, safety and dynamic systems fitted as standard. Prices start at £18,945 OTR – images and detailed information on the new A-Class can be found here.

In what was a successful evening for Mercedes-Benz, the innovative My Dash system also won an Award – being named ‘Best Digital Initiative’.

Credits: Mercedes-Benz UK

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iF product design award 2013: Mercedes-Benz Actros wins international design award once again

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The iF label is recognised worldwide as a hallmark of excellent design – a cachet that now attaches to the new Mercedes-Benz Actros. This year, 49 experts from the areas of design, industry and education chose their favourites from over 3000 entries.

The competition forms part of the “iF design awards”, which are now in their 60th year – organised by the International Forum Design, which is based in Hanover and stages exhibitions worldwide. Each year, the awards for excellent design are presented in the three disciplines "product”, “communication” and “packaging".

The jury spent three days viewing, handling, testing and analysing the entries behind closed doors.

"All award-winning entries are examples of exceptional product design," affirms the statement by the international expert jury. Key criteria are target group appeal and content, design quality and creativity, relevance to the customer, economy, originality and innovation. The winning entries at the “iF design” awards reflect current design trends and the economic credentials of well designed objects.

"The fact that our Actros has won such an important design award is a magnificent acknowledgement of our daily work," notes Kai Sieber, Head of Design for Mercedes-Benz Trucks & Vans.

The new Mercedes-Benz Actros has already won the "red dot" design award from the Design Zentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen, the "German Design Award 2013" in the category "Transportation and Public Space" and the "Focus in Gold 2012" from the Design Center Stuttgart.

The flagship truck from Mercedes-Benz has won over the international juries with the high quality and ergonomics of its interior and the consistent exterior design of the vehicle's different variants.

The new Mercedes-Benz Actros

The new Actros model series produced in Wörth is predestined for long-haul transport. The designers have gone back to the drawing board to evolve a totally new Actros that meets the ever increasing requirements with regard to comfort, economy, driving dynamics and diversity. In terms of equipment options and models, the diversity of the series offers a perfectly configured vehicle for virtually any type of deployment in long-haul transport.

Credits: Daimler AG

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