The New Mercedes Benz A Class

Mercedes Benz is trying to attack the younger market sector with their new range of cars. That is evident with the revamped C class, gone is the wood and the drab and boring interiors, now replaced with much more up to date state of the art interior finishes. The new C class coupe which replaces the now dated CLK is also introduced and what a stunning car that is. For years there has been no Mercedes to attract the VW Golf or the 1 series BMW drivers as the old A and B class lets face it didn't really stack up.

Well thats all about to change as here is the totally re designed Mercedes Benz A Class !!!

I was lucky enough to recently be invited by Mercedes Benz to attend Euro Training 2012 in Berlin where we were exclusively introduced to the new A class. It was a total hands on experience and not only were we shown the car but also introduced to the safety features, the new technology in the car and finally even to drive it round the streets of Berlin in its various models including the AMG Sport.

I believe now that Mercedes have the car to eat into the VW Golf market as the car looks good, drives great and is packed with the latest gadgets.

The Mercedes Benz G Class

Back in the seventies, the Shah of Iran suggested to Mercedes that it might be a nice if it built an SUV. MB promptly hopped into bed with Austrian military vehicle manufacturer, Steyr-Daimler-Puch, and started creating the "Geländewagen" (German for cross-country vehicle) for civilian and military use.
A development program rumbled through most of the seventies, including excursions to German coalfields, the Sahara desert, and the Arctic Circle. And Steyr-Daimler-Puch began hand-building the G in the same Graz factory they're made in today, ready for its 1979 launch. 


The first major refinements came in 1981 and included an auto box and air conditioning; a year later it got comfier front seats lifted from Benz's car line-up, auxiliary heating and wider tyres. Having generated some column inches with a Paris-Dakar rally win in ‘83, MB kept piling in the kit; by '87 it was fitting the G with electric windows, a power antenna and luggage covers.
In 1989 it got its first full pimp out to celebrate the G's tenth anniversary, in came permanent four-wheel drive, wood trim, ABS, a top-spec interior and three electronically-locking differentials. 

But in 2004, everything changed. The post '90 Gs were definitely luxurious, but they weren't quick, and its esoteric customer base started noticing. Mercedes' solution was simple - hand it over to in-house tuners, AMG. Subsequently, its squeezed in a 5.4-litre supercharged V8, 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8 and now there's the latest offering - a 6.0-litre twin-turbo V12, which produces 612hp and 737lb ft. 
A further colour screen sits in the middle of the dash, incorporating a DVD player and the COMAND system, all standard on G-Class models, including a sat nav with "off-road" functions. 


Mercedes has just revealed details of its revised G-Class - that ageing, iconic off-roader and the sad headline news is that the UK will have to survive without the twin-turbocharged 6.0-litre V12 version, which uses the same 621bhp engine found in the new SL65.
Also available on launch is the G350 BlueTEC - a 3.0-litre V6 diesel with 211bhp and 400lb ft of torque, capable of returning 25.2mpg and 295g/km of CO2, if that sort of thing excites you. Both engines will get the seven-speed 7G-Tronic auto ‘box as standard.

However, the UK will receive the new G63 AMG, a V8 monster featuring the company's new twin-turbo 5.5-litre V8 currently being rolled out across the AMG range. That means 544bhp - 37bhp more than the old G55 - and 560 torques. No word on performance, but a 0-62mph time somewhere in the low fives would be a good guess. Oh, and it comes with start/stop too.

The new G has also been treated to a host of interior upgrades, too. The centre console and instrument panel have been completely designed, and you'll find a new TFT display sandwiched between the two dials. New daytime LED running lights and new exterior mirrors for all models, while the AMGs get a new grille with double louvres, new bumpers, larger air intakes, 20in wheels and red brake calipers.