Automotive Design Guide: March 2008

More Photos of My Porsche!

Sorry if some are repost, here are just more photos.

World premiere of the new-generation A-Klasse at "Auto Mobil International" in Leipzig

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Stuttgart, Mar 27, 2008 - The new-generation A-Class will be stepping into the limelight at the "Auto Mobil International" (AMI) motor show in Leipzig from 5th - 13th April, 2008. Following an extensive facelift, the successful compact car is younger, more attractive and more environmentally friendly than ever before. The convenient ECO start/stop function is available for the first time for the high-volume A 150 and A 170 models, which reduces fuel consumption of these BlueEFFICIENCY vehicles by up to nine percent when driving in city traffic. Mercedes-Benz has developed an additional BlueEFFICIENCY package for the three-door A 160 CDI, reducing the Coupé's fuel consumption to just 4.5 litres per 100 kilometres. Independent experts have confirmed these major environmental advances by awarding the A‑Class an internationally valid Environmental Certificate - the world's first compact car to receive such an accolade. The new-generation B-Class will also be celebrating its world premiere at the AMI. The sports tourer is now available with a petrol/natural-gas drive system for the very first time.

Since its world premiere in 1997, the A-Class has made a name for itself in the compact-car class as a trendsetter and groundbreaking innovator. Outstanding safety, everyday versatility and hallmark Mercedes reliability have always been the strengths of the A-Class, whose distinctive yet equally versatile concept has won over more than two million drivers since its launch.
The new-generation A-Class builds on these virtues: Mercedes-Benz is presenting a range of five-door saloon and three-door coupé versions in spring 2008, each sporting an all-round upgrade. The front end of the compact Mercedes-Benz is younger, yet at the same time more poised and assured than before. The sweeping lines of the new-look headlamps flow seamlessly along the front and into the flanks, which literally appear to have been moulded from a single piece.
The equally redesigned bumper reinforces this impression; its air intake at the bottom is noticeably larger, emphasising the width of the body. The radiator grille has also been redesigned to reinforce the progressive character of the A‑Class.
Design elements at the front help differentiate the A-Class lines even more clearly than before. For instance, the AVANTGARDE line features a specially designed bumper that further emphasises the arrow shape of the front and symbolises even more agility. Individual wheel designs help differentiate the side view of the A-Class lines. While the entry-level model comes with 15‑inch wheels with 7-spoke trim, the ELEGANCE and AVANTGARDE lines sport individually styled 16-inch light-alloy wheels. The new, larger exterior mirror housings and the door handles are now painted in the vehicle colour on all model variants.
The rear of the A-Class is dominated by a modified bumper and new-look tail lights that extend well into the flanks. Both features ensure that the body looks wider and even more powerful.

Interior: larger stowage compartments and new fabrics further upgrade
the interior

The Mercedes designers also paid particular attention to increasing perceived value when it came to revamping the interior, selecting a range of new high-grade upholstery fabrics and door trim. In addition, new trim elements made out of smoke grey, diagonally brushed aluminium add an upscale feel to the interior of the AVANTGARDE line, while the distinguished ambience of the ELEGANCE model is reinforced through wood trim elements. All variants of the A-Class come with a larger stowage compartment in the centre console and a new-look cup holder between the front seats.

Economy: the A 160 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY consumes just 4.5 litres

The new-generation A-Class emphasises its economy with fuel consumption of between 4.9 and 8.1 litres per 100 kilometres. Thanks to further detailed enhancements, fuel consumption of the sophisticated direct-injection diesel engines has been reduced by over 8 percent or 0.5 litres per 100 kilometres compared with the outgoing models. From autumn 2008, Mercedes-Benz will supply a standard-fit BlueEFFICIENCY package for the three-door A 160 CDIwith manual transmission, which further improves engine efficiency, aerodynamics, rolling resistance, energy management and weight. Taken together, these measures add up to a fuel saving of 0.4 litres so that the A 160 CDIBlueEFFICIENCY consumes just 4.5 litres per 100 kilometres on the NEDC cycle. CO2 emissions of the 60 kW/82 hp coupé are 119 grams per kilometre.
The BlueEFFICIENCY package includes an aerodynamically optimised radiator grille, the rear side of which is sealed off, thus reducing the volume of air flowing into the engine compartment; despite this, sufficient cooling for the CDI engine is ensured at all times. The bodywork has also been lowered by 10 millimetres to further reduce wind drag. The Mercedes engineers have leveraged further potential to save fuel by dynamically controlling the power supply on board the A 160 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY to save energy. The generator management system consistently converts the power generated when the engine decelerates (i.e. on the overrun) into electrical energy, which is then used to recharge the battery in an optimum, energy-efficient manner.

Start/stop function: the engine automatically switches off when idling

The Mercedes engineers have achieved fuel savings for the petrol-engined models of up to 0.4 litres per 100 kilometres on the NEDC cycle thanks to the newly developed ECO start/stop function. This system will be available for the high-volume A 150 BlueEFFICIENCY and A 170 BlueEFFICIENCY models from autumn 2008. It automatically switches the engine off when the driver shifts to neutral at low speed whilst depressing the brake pedal. A special display in the instrument cluster informs the driver if the conditions for switching off the engine are met.
The moment the clutch is pressed or the brake pedal released, the engine springs back to life almost noiselessly and in a fraction of a second. This ability to restart the engine swiftly yet smoothly gives the Mercedes technology a key edge over other systems of this type.
The ECOstart/stop function further reduces fuel consumption by around 6.5 percent on the NEDC cycle. The A 150 BlueEFFICIENCY (70 kW/95 hp) completes the cycle with fuel consumption figures of 5.8 litres per 100 kilometres , the equivalent of 139 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre.
Even greater savings can be made in urban traffic, as the results of extensive field testing show: Mercedes employees have tested the system in 175 test vehicles, notching up some 1.2 million kilometres in the process. Around half of this marathon testing schedule involved driving on urban roads where the new ECOstart/stop function produced fuel savings of up to nine percent.

Environment: the A-Class is the first compact-class car with an Environmental Certificate

These kinds of practical results are all-important to Mercedes-Benz when it
comes to assessing new technologies. The Stuttgart-based brand assesses the environmental compatibility of vehicles not just on the basis of the results of standardised exhaust emissions and fuel consumption measurements but also looks at the entire lifecycle - from manufacture through use over many years to end-of-life disposal. The analysis of more than 40,000 individual processes provides a complete picture that helps the engineers objectively assess development work.
This lifecycle assessment forms the basis for the Environmental Certificate based on the stringent international ISO standard 14062 "Design For Environment" which the A-Class is the world's first compact car to receive.
Mercedes-Benz has put together a brochure including detailed information on
the eco balance sheet and the Environmental Certificate. This brochure is available on the Internet at www.media.daimler.com .

Safety: flashing brake lights warn drivers behind

Mercedes-Benz has also enhanced safety and comfort in the A-Class. Technology from the luxury-class segment has found its way into the compact car with the adaptive brake lights, which add another accident prevention system to the standard specification. During emergency braking when travelling at more than 50 km/h, the brake lights flash at high frequency to warn drivers behind who can consequently react faster and are in a better position to prevent an accident.
The A-Class also sets new standards in this market segment in the area of occupant protection with two-stage front airbags, belt tensioners for the front and outer rear seats, belt force limiters, active front head restraints and head/thorax sidebags. Mercedes-Benz is now complementing this extensive safety technology with crash-responsive emergency lighting in the interior, which comes on automatically after an accident of a defined severity to provide occupants with better orientation and make the task of the emergency services easier.

Parking assist: ultrasound and electric steering make parking easier

In future, A-Class owners will have assistance looking for a parking space and when reverse parking, courtesy of active parking assist, which is optionally available for all model variants. Using newly developed ultrasonic sensors on the sides the system looks for an appropriate spot on either side of the road as the A-Class drives by and informs the driver via a display in the instrument cluster. Once a suitable spot has been found, an arrow also appears in the display, informing the driver on which side of the road the parking spot is located. If the driver selects reverse, accepts the suggested space and depresses the accelerator, active parking assist takes over and manoeuvres the A-Class automatically into the space. The driver simply needs to press the accelerator pedal and use the brake; the ultrasonic sensors associated with PARKTRONIC provide assistance and information on the distance to the vehicle in front of and behind the A-Class.
To be able to use the automatic parking feature, the parking spot only has to be 1.30 metres longer than the A-Class - an indication of the technology's tremendous precision. Thanks to the very compact dimensions of the A-Class, a parking space of just around 5.19 metres long is sufficient to park; no other car can automatically park in such a small space.
The Mercedes engineers have added a new function to the tried-and-trusted assistance system on the A-Class: the Electronic Stability Program (ESP®) on the A-Class now comes with automatic hill-start assist, which prevents the compact car from rolling backwards if the driver moves his or her foot from the brake to the accelerator pedal when moving off on an uphill slope.

Audio: new units offer Bluetooth, colour display and Europe-wide navigation

Just like all the other new Mercedes models in 2008, the A-Class also comes
with enhanced units that provide information, communication, navigation and entertainment. The new Audio 50 APS is fitted with a colour display, Europe-wide DVD navigation system and DVD drive, while the top-of-the-range COMAND APS includes hard-disc navigation, Music Register, a slot for SD memory cards and a voice-operated control system. The newly developed, interactive media interface provides even more options for in-car listening pleasure by allowing an optional MP3 player, USBstick or another external audio device to be connected to the A-Class infotainment system.

B-Class: sports tourer with petrol/natural-gas drive system for the first time

Mercedes-Benz has also revamped the design and technology of the B-Class -
the success story launched three years ago. 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. As with the A-Class, the new ECO start/stop function is also available for the high-volume B 150 and B 170 models. Another new development for the B-Class comes in the shape of the bivalent petrol/natural-gas drive system in the B 170 NGT BlueEFFICIENCY, which consumes just 4.9 kilograms of natural gas per 100 kilometres. Converted into the equivalent quantity of petrol energy, the fuel cost per kilometre is around 50 percent less than when running on petrol.

New spy photos of the 2010 CLK surface on LeftLaneNews.com

Link to the article

Copyright © 2008, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

Mercedes-Benz to develop exciting versions for the A- & B-Klasse

From an article posted today on Autocar UK website, we discover that Dieter Zetsche has big plans with Mercedes-Benz. In order to give a tough response to its opponents, the Stuttgardt-based carmaker is expected to release by 2011 two brand new models, derived from its smallest cars. I talk about the well-known SUV to compete with the future BMW X1, probably to be badged BLK, and about a possible coupe version built on the platform of the third gen. A-Klasse. The sporty model will be named CLA and its price will start from 19000 pounds. The engines to be used will be brand new, with outputs ranging from 120 to 200 BHP, 4-cylinders direct-injection petrol or commonrail diesel powered. It is believed that the new CLA will replace, on a long term, the recently presented CLC-Klasse.

Link to the article

Copyright © 2008, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

Indian Authorities Approve Joint Venture between Daimler Trucks and the Hero Group

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Stuttgart – The Indian government’s Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) and the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) have both approved the establishment of the Daimler Hero Motors Corporation Ltd. joint venture by Daimler Trucks and the Indian company Hero Group in the first quarter of 2008.

The closing for the foundation of the joint venture will be completed by the end of April. Further details concerning the new joint venture will be released at that time.
Andreas Renschler, member of the Daimler Board of Management and Head of Daimler Trucks: „The approval process of the Indian authorities has been exemplary. We are looking forward to the implementation phase of our German-Indian joint venture, Daimler Hero Motors Corporation“.

The joint venture will provide Daimler Trucks with three benefits: essential market access, a base for penetrating further growth markets in the region, as well as a cost level and infrastructure that will enable competitive production. For Daimler Trucks, India will therefore be sales market, production location and export hub, all in one.
The projected joint venture is initially aimed at the local production of light, medium, and heavy-duty commercial vehicles for the Indian volume market. The vehicles produced will be variants of Daimler Trucks’ existing product portfolio that are tailored to the Indian market.

Copyright © 2008, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

More photos of the revamped A-Klasse leaked

New A-Klasse leaked on the internet ahead of official unveiling

The soon-to-be-presented A-Klasse facelift has been recently leaked on the internet. Motor Authority managed to get their hands on one photo showcasing the 5door version of the smallest Stuttgardter. Visually, the changes operated to the design of the MPV are far more extensive than those we see on the B-Klasse facelift. The headlights, the new version-personalized radiator grille(Avantgarde and Elegance), the air intake, the fog lights, the backlights, the exterior mirrors and some of the side lines of the car-all of them have been revised, giving to the A a well-deserved elegance and style. As seen in a previous photo posted on the blog, the dashboard hasn't suffered major changes, but it is reported that new, softer & quality materials have been used in order to rise standards. Also new trims, like wood or aluminium, are offered for styling the interior of the car.
Technically speaking, the A will feature a new, eco-friendly version, called A 150 BlueEFFICIENCY, developing 95 BHP, which boasts with an overall fuel consumption of only 5.8 litres per 100 kilometres. Mercedes-Benz has also added the Start & Stop function to its A 150 & A 170 models;the most economical engine of the range remains the 82 BHP A 160 CDI diesel unit, with a high fuel-saving performance of 4.5 litres consumed over 100 kilometres. Expect for the official press kit to be released today.

Link to the article

Copyright © 2008, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

Gorden Wagener to become New Head of Design at Mercedes-Benz

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Stuttgart - From mid-2008 onwards, Gorden Wagener is to head the globally active design division of Mercedes-Benz. The diploma’ed designer, aged 39, is to succeed Professor Peter Pfeiffer, who will be retiring after forty years of service with the company. Currently, Gorden Wagener heads the Strategic Advanced Design department and as such acts as director of the Mercedes design studios in California and Japan.
“Gorden Wagener will continue the successful work of Professor Peter Pfeiffer. He was involved to a considerable degree in developing the design of the passenger car models currently on the market, and will lead the Mercedes design into the future with his new and creative ideas”, said Dr. Thomas Weber, member of the Daimler Board of Management.

Gorden Wagener has worked for Mercedes-Benz since 1997. As head of the Advanced Design department, Wagener is among the pioneers within the Stuttgart automotive brand who develop future vehicle concepts and work towards the realisation of new design strategies. Wagener and his team showcased their ideas for the premium automobile of the future with their much-noted research vehicle F 700, which was presented by Mercedes-Benz in the fall of 2007.

The incumbent Mercedes Head of Design studied Industrial Design at the University of Essen in Germany and later focussed on Transportation Design at the Royal College of Art in London. He began his career as Exterior Designer in 1995, and joined Mercedes-Benz in Sindelfingen two years later. In 1999, he became head of the Exterior / Interior Styling department, designing the models of the GL-, M- and R-Class with his team. In 2002, Wagener was responsible for the design of the models making up the A-, B-, C-, E-, CLK- and CLS-Class. Since 2006, the diploma’ed designer has been directing the Advanced Design department and acted as director of the Mercedes design studios in California and Japan. He was appointed as head of Strategic Advanced Design in 2007. Gorden Wagener was born on September 3rd, 1968 in Essen.

Mercedes-Benz head of design, Professor Peter Pfeiffer, to retire in mid-2008

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Stuttgart - After forty years of service with the company, chief Mercedes designer, Professor Peter Pfeiffer, will retire in 2008 at the age of 65. He headed the globally active design division of Mercedes-Benz since April 1999. In this capacity, he was responsible for designing the passenger cars and commercial vehicles of the Stuttgart automotive brand. Pfeiffer will be succeeded by Gorden Wagener (39), who currently heads the Strategic Advanced Design department and as such acts as the director of the Mercedes design studios in California and Japan.

“Under Professor Peter Pfeiffer, design became a Mercedes-Benz trademark more than ever before and contributed to the brand’s success”, said Dr. Thomas Weber, member of the Daimler Board of Management, in recognition of the work of the Mercedes chief designer.
“In translating the current Mercedes design concept into forms, Peter Pfeiffer gave our automobiles their future-oriented appearance, and in this way defined the new image of the Mercedes-Benz brand.”

Professor Peter Pfeiffer is responsible for the design of the Mercedes models currently on the market, the luxury limousine Maybach and the smart fortwo city coupe. In 2005, he and his team realised a new design style that first went into series production with the S-Class. The style is based on the rules of modern purism, which allow for the interplay of large, even surfaces with sharp lines thus accentuating the clarity of the vehicle form.

“Good design is not only about creating beautiful and fascinating individual products. It is also about more exactly defining the automobiles’ nature”, says Peter Pfeiffer. “In using this new design style, we underline the typical features of today’s Mercedes models – for example, confidence, definitely a trait distinguishing our technically sophisticated vehicles”. Besides the S-Class, the CL- Coupé, the new C-Class, the new generation of the SL sports car as well as the entire SUV family all speak the same Mercedes design language.
Another demand has always defined the work of the Mercedes Head of Design: combining tradition and innovation to achieve a harmonious whole. Without concealing the origins of the vehicles manufactured by the traditional auto manufacturer, Peter Pfeiffer successfully combined familiar stylistic elements of the brand with new ideas, in this way continuously developing the design further.

This attention to detail kept the design language and the brand’s image alive, innovative and dynamic while also making it unique. “A Mercedes-Benz car will always be recognizable as a Mercedes-Benz. Its design combines continuity and creativity, tradition and modern features. These are the foundations on which the Mercedes models’ style will continue to be valued for its elegance over long periods, and the reason why many of our cars have become such coveted classics”, is how Peter Pfeiffer describes the strategy developed for the long term that does not allow for any short-lived fads or trends. As Pfeiffer puts it, “What has always been decisive for the design of Mercedes cars, and this will certainly not change, is that we don’t want to follow fashion, we want to be modern”.

Awards for excellent design work and personal commitment

The Mercedes models developed under the direction of Peter Pfeiffer have received dozens of design awards in Germanyand abroad. In the summer of 2003, Peter Pfeiffer received the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for his exceptional contribution to the field of automotive design. In the fall of 2004, he was awarded an honorary professorship by the Universityof Artsand Design in Budapestin recognition of his commitment to promoting young designers.
In late 2007, the German Design Council elected Peter Pfeiffer as its new president. In his acceptance speech before the committee made up of other high-ranking designers, Pfeiffer underscored that he intends to continue strengthening the relevance of design as regards its innovative power and its role in the economy. As the new president of the German competence centre for design, Pfeiffer noted that design is an important factor in sharpening any product’s or brand’s profile in international competition.

Peter Pfeiffer was born in 1943 in Dallwitz near Karlsbad (today, Karlovy Vary). After completing his professional training at the Staatliche Höhere Fachschule für Porzellan (Technical College for the Porcelain Industry) in Selb from 1960 until 1963, he began his career as a designer with Ford-Werke AG in 1963. Five years later, he entered the Daimler-Benz group in 1968, becoming head of the department “Design PKW und NFZ” (Passenger Car and Commercial Vehicle Design) in 1978. In 1999, Peter Pfeiffer succeeded Bruno Sacco at the helm of the design division of Mercedes-Benz and was appointed Senior Vice President Design in 2000.