Mercedes-Benz Cars. All About Mercedes Cars

Mercedes-Benz Cars. All About Mercedes Cars

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 6 -- The Mercedes-Benz CLS55 AMG is making its North American debut this week at the Los Angeles Auto Show, open to the public January 7-16 at the L.A. Convention Center. Even before the first CLS500 arrives in the U.S., the high-performance CLS55 AMG is being added to the new lineup, and both models are expected to go on sale in the U.S. The breathtakingly beautiful coupe-like car with four doors now boasts a 469-horsepower V8 engine from AMG, the high-performance division of Mercedes- Benz. AMG has worked its magic on the CLS powertrain, interior and exterior, including AMG sport seats and new-design 19-inch AMG alloy wheels. While the CLS500 will arrive in the U.S. 302-horsepower 5.0-liter V8, the new CLS55 AMG is powered by a supercharged 5.5-liter V8 that makes 469 horsepower, for eye-popping 0-to-60 mph acceleration times of 4.5 seconds! The impressive power of the CLS55 AMG can be attributed to sophisticated supercharger technology that's also found in the E55 AMG and SL55 AMG.

Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a five-speed AMG SpeedShift automatic transmission that can be manually shifted from either a conventional lever or Formula-1 style gearshift buttons on the AMG sports steering wheel. AMG engineers developed a new sports suspension for the CLS55 AMG that's based on the Mercedes-Benz semi-active air suspension. To make sure the CLS55 AMG stops as fast as it goes, giant vented and perforated disc brakes carry staggered 19-inch wheels with 255/35 tires in front and 285/30 at the rear. To help handle all the power, the ESP system can apply the brakes on just one wheel to transfer torque to the wheels with better traction, achieving much the same effect as a limited-slip differential. Beefier driveshafts, heavy-duty rear suspension parts and a stronger differential housing with cooling fins complete the package. AMG has been a subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler since 1999 and is located near Stuttgart in Affalterbach, Germany. AMG develops each of its models, from the engine and driveline to suspension, brakes, chassis and aerodynamics. Each engine is produced and tested at AMG's headquarters in Affalterbach, and AMG models are assembled at the main Mercedes-Benz vehicle assembly plants. Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA), headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey, is responsible for the sales, marketing and service of all Mercedes-Benz and Maybach products in the United States. In 2004, MBUSA achieved an all-time sales record of 221,610 new vehicles, setting the highest sales volume ever in its history and achieving eleven consecutive years of sales growth.

In the corners, the Audi S3 is known to not be the friskiest and most adjustable all-wheel-drive hot hatch around. It tends to understeer a bit and, while its really quick off the line and going straight, its not the most fun thing to throw around - the cheaper and mechanically related VW Golf R is inexplicably more fun. Mercedes-AMG A35 Sedan vs. While the Audi S3 is an established name in the compact performance car segment, the S3 sedan is a relative newcomer. But the fact that the S3 nameplate has been around since 1999 means people are more familiar with it and, to many buyers, it might seem like the safer purchase compared to the complete newcomer that is the A35 sedan. Both cars are somewhat different answers to the same question, and which one you go for is up to you. The Mercedes is more fun to drive, has slightly better handling (and a more modern, more interesting interior), while the Audi feels more mature, grown up and refined, but at the same time, it will out-accelerate its new arch rival. Turning up anywhere in the Mercedes is also more of a statement since its exterior styling is considerably more noticeable than the Audis. When it comes to how you feel inside the two cars (a big decision making factor for many buyers, Im sure), there is really no contest between them. Sure, the Audi might have some better materials than the Mercedes, but its design feels nowhere near as fresh and modern. You cant split them on interior space, though, as both offer nearly identical levels of passenger room and cargo capacity. In the end, the fact that the AMG A35 sedan is a new car and will undoubtedly attract more attention in its direction.

Inside, the A220 looks every bit the premium car Mercedes-Benz wants it to be, with turbine-styled climate control vents and a free-standing, fully-digital instrument panel and display that is similar in appearance to the E-Class sedan. 2,100 Premium Package, which also includes auto-dimming mirrors, Blind Spot Assist, and keyless start and entry among other features. Center stack switchgear and gloss black trim looks every bit as swanky as on MB鈥檚 more upscale models and the perforated and grained soft-touch plastic dash materials are very nicely fashioned. Similar to other 鈥渟mart鈥?tech products, users call up the voice command system by saying 鈥淗ey, Mercedes鈥︹€?and then giving a command in plain, conversational speech. Brand engineers say the artificial intelligence-enabled system is designed to understand more complex commands than your typical automotive interface. 鈥淗ey Mercedes, what is the meaning of life? Other advanced system features include some nifty navigation tricks. Move to the rear seats and you鈥檒l find a more spacious rear cabin than in the CLA or GLA, though this is still a small car with limited room for those over six-feet tall. Really, rear seating is best kept to shorter trips for average-size adults, though smaller children will find plenty of space. During the drive program, we logged miles on the city streets of Seattle, twisty mountain roads that circle Washington鈥檚 Mt. Rainer, and stretches of highway further east towards Yakima. Is the sedan segment dead? We certainly hope not if manufacturers can still bring fun-to-drive models to market like the A220. In our time with the car we came away very impressed and itching for more time in a full production version as we get closer to the A-Class sedan鈥檚 launch early next year. 34,000 including destination fee, while the upcoming all-new CLA moves slightly upmarket.

A new high-performance all-wheel-drive variant of the upgradedMercedes-Benz E63 AMG dubbed the 鈥楽-Model鈥?will become one of the quickest production cars in the German manufacturer鈥檚 history when it launches overseas in June. The new 2013 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG S-Model combines a 430kW/800Nm tune of the carryover 5.5-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine with the added traction of an AMG-tuned AWD system to launch the super sedan from 0-100km/h in a blistering 3.6 seconds. Australian customers won鈥檛 be able to get their hands on the stonking AWD model, however, withMercedes-Benz confirming the AMG factory in Affalterbach will only produce the all-paw S-Model in left-hand drive. Mercedes-Benz Australia will instead offer the standard rear-wheel-drive E63 AMG variant - now producing 410kW and 720Nm - in sedan and Estate body styles when the upgraded model arrives in September. The updated E63 AMG headed to our shores produces 24kW and 20Nm more than the current model and sprints from 0-100km/h one-tenth faster, now in 4.2 seconds. Manual - and incorporates automatic double-declutching on downshifts and 鈥楻ace Start鈥?launch control. Cabin changes are minor, and largely mirror those already seen in the rest of the E-Class range, headlined by the stylish new analogue clock, revised switchgear, remodelled instrument cluster and central screen, and new upholstery and trim materials. Mercedes has also bolstered the options list, offering customers features like silver seatbelts, contrast stitching, LED sill illumination, a 1200-watt 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen premium sound system, an AMG carbonfibre engine cover and three unique exterior design packages.