[car fanatics]

Mercedes-Benz
Photo credit: Mercedes-Benz
April 24, 2012
By: CF staff

The highlight of this year’s Mercedes appearance in the Chinese capital is the Concept Style Coupé. The close-to-production study offers an insight into the next member of the new Mercedes-Benz compact car family. The Concept Style Coupé is a clear statement of avant-garde design in the form of a sporty coupe for the mid-size segment. The series-production version is scheduled for market launch next year under the model name CLA.

The four-door Concept Style Coupé is a style rebel – non-conformist, provocative, masculine. “The design is expressive and powerful,” says Dr. Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars. “It makes a very clear statement. This is the car against which sporty mid-size vehicles will be measured in future.” In keeping with its dynamic look, the Coupé study offers a host of technical highlights, including the new four-cylinder turbo petrol engine with 155 kW (211 hp), 4MATIC all-wheel drive and the 7G-DCT dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Inside the Concept Style Coupé, a new quality benchmark is set by fine materials together with outstanding craftsmanship. The dashboard upholstered in white nubuck leather offers a rich contrast to the anthracite Alcantara® on the upper surface of the dashboard. On the sports steering wheel, suede delivers exceptional grip, while all chrome trim pieces and controls have been anodised in black for the first time. The surfaces around the HMI operating unit shimmer in gleaming black anodized aluminium. The four integral seats with integrated head restraints come from the sport version of the new A-Class.

Sporty, fascinating and “always on”

While travelling, passengers can be “always on”. This is made possible by COMAND Online together with Mercedes-Benz apps developed especially for use and operation while driving. Internet surfing is also freely available when the vehicle is at a standstill.

Dieter Zetsche: “It is our stated objective to attract new Mercedes fans in new markets and market segments. That can be achieved only with fascinating products like the Concept Style Coupé that we are launching next year under the name CLA. And the promise that we kept with the new A-Class also applies to the Coupé – the forthcoming CLA will transfer the fascination of the study into series production.”

Targeted expansion of the Mercedes-Benz product line-up

Mercedes-Benz is conducting a targeted expansion of its product line-up with new models like the CLA. “That”, says Dr. Zetsche, “Is the key to the success of our ‘Mercedes-Benz 2020’ strategy, with which we want to be number one in all relevant categories of the premium segment by the end of this decade – and that includes sales volumes.” That the brand is on the right course is evident in the current results – in 2011, Mercedes-Benz returned the best sales figures in its corporate history, followed in 2012 by further sales records set in all three months of the first quarter.

In China, Mercedes-Benz will continue to strengthen its role as an active and successful player in the economy. Dr. Zetsche: “We will further expand our local production capacity and thus sustainably increase our market presence in China. By 2015, we want to have doubled our current local production capacity to more than 200,000 vehicles per year. Together with our partners, we will invest around three billion Euros in China over the next few years, thus creating the foundation for sustainable growth on the world’s largest car market.”