Mercedes-Benz E-Class: Better than being in love?

To the tunes of a jazz combo, Mercedes-Benz introduced four new models, calling 2010 the "year of the E-Class." They even had jazz singer Dianne Reeves sing a song dedicated to the car. The lyrics to the song said it was “better than almost anything but being in love.”

At the high end was the E63 AMG. MB called it the "business sedan" that with a press of a button changes to a "sports sedan."

Mercedes showed off a 4-cylinder, E250 Bluetec diesel they called the cleanest luxury car in the world. The claimed mileage is 44 miles per gallon.

MB brought out their first hybrid, an ML450 developed for the U.S. and Canada. They promised around 90% of the power and torque and half the fuel consumption of the standard model.

-- Doug Stewart

Photograph: Doug Stewart

Consumers perceive BMW as cool, Mercedes-Benz, most prestigious

BMW owners have just received some well-needed validation in “these tough economic times.” The brand was awarded three 2009 Brand Image Awards. Kelley Blue Book's market study tracks more than 12,000 car shoppers' brand perceptions each year and divides the findings into 10 categories.

The Bavarians won "Best Performance Brand," "Coolest Brand" and "Best Exterior Design Brand," which may have been a parting gift for the exiting chief of design, Chris Bangle. Kelley said BMW transcended the generation gap with cars that both parents and kids wanted.

Its Teutonic neighbor, Mercedes-Benz, went home with "Best Prestige Brand," leaving one to ponder the difference between "prestige" and "cool."

Ford won "Most Rugged Truck," and Cadillac won for "Best Interior Design" and "Best Comfort Brand." Ford’s record-setting truck sales for 27 years helped seal the deal, according to Kelley. Cadillac’s design resurgence caused KBB to point out how far it has come in just a few years. Japanese manufacturers won three awards total; Nissan for "Best Design -- Non Luxury," and Toyota picked up "Best Value" and "Most Family Friendly." KBB said, “Smart shopping never goes out of style, and Toyota has built a reputation for building some of the smartest buys on the road.”

Must have been those 45 years of Corollas.

-- Doug Stewart

For more info - www.kbb.com/2009brandimageawards

Photo credit: BMW

Detroit Auto Show: Mercedes blitzkriegs Motown

And they're off!

Not content to wait around for the opening bell on Sunday morning, Mercedes-Benz got things going here at the North American International Auto Show (the Detroit Auto Show to most folks) on Saturday night with a full-fledged, off-campus news conference with not one, not two, but three full reveals.

It was an ambitious offering, held at a newly reopened Detroit landmark, the Book Cadillac Hotel, which to an outsider might have seemed like the German Embassy transported to the Motor City. At the event, which the hosts dubbed a Neujahrsempfang, or New Year's reception, it seemed that few stops were not pulled out.

Indeed, judging by the elaborate level of production, rail-thin models, choreographed light-and-sound show, massive hordes of imported Daimler employees and two-block line of M-B shuttle vehicles outside the event, one could be forgiven for thinking that the economy was just fine and we were in boom times once again.

As guests were plied with lobster risotto, Merlot and creme brulee, the company's chief executive, Dieter Zetsche (known as the mustachioed Dr. Z for those of you familiar with old Mercedes commercials) rolled out the brand new E-Class sedan, as well as a limited-edition SLR open-top sports car, and a concept called the BlueZERO that can run on battery, hydrogen or range-extended electric drivetrains -- and will, in limited numbers, starting later this year.

Buzz levels peaked notably when Zetsche said that the new 2.5-liter turbodiesel version of the E-Class would turn in 44 miles per gallon highway fuel economy. That's worthy of a big exclamation point considering the fact that the current E-Class diesel, with a 3.2-liter engine, tops out at 32 mpg.

So, despite the heady feel of the event ...

2009 North American Car and Truck of the Year -- the short list

Contenders have been announced for the 2009 North American Car of the Year, along with the 2009 North American Truck of the Year. To be eligible, vehicles have to be completely new or represent a redesign for the model year. This list and the final accolades are determined by a panel of automotive journalists. The winners will be announced Jan. 11 at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. Let’s check out the car category hopefuls first.

Flying the home flag is the Ford Flex SUV/crossover. As its name suggests, the interior offers plenty of scope for various combinations of passengers and cargo. It’s comfortable, practical and drives well. Plus, with the Scion xB, Nissan Cube and Kia Soul coming from the East, the time of the box is nigh. The Flex is flung by a 262-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6; it comes with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive; and starts at $28,295.

Fresh from winning the 2009 Green Car of the Year is Volkswagen’s Jetta TDI with its Clean Diesel technology. If ever there was a car for the times, this could be it. This sedan (or wagon) is compact yet sturdy, thrifty yet nifty, and there are no pesky hybrid-related batteries to worry about at the end of the car’s life. Emissions-wise, it gets a clean enough bill of health to be legal in all 50 states. Fuel consumption is rated at 30 mpg in the city and 41 mpg on the highway, and it starts at $21,990.

More contenders after the jump...

Mercedes-Benz diesels -- the new celebs’ choice

It’s hard to say which is the bigger story here. Whether it’s the possibility that the Toyota Prius might soon be unseated as the cool wheels among Hollywood’s young elite, or that -- in a town obsessed with youth -- actor Naomi Watts admits to being 40.

Watts was given a Mercedes-Benz ML 320 Bluetec SUV recently by her beau, Liev Schreiber, at a party celebrating the big four-oh. And while “Celeb drives upmarket Euro car” might not be much of a headline, the “Bluetec” in the name points to a significant shift. This is M-B’s latest clean diesel technology and its oh-so-faint clatter is appealing to the ears of many of the young (-ish) and talented (-ish).

Next time Watts stops at the diesel pump, she could well bump into Kyle “Desperate Housewives” MacLachlan, Kim “Sex and the City” Catrall, Gary Oldman or Emmy “Phantom of the Opera” Rossum, all of whom drive M-B Bluetec cars. Ms. Rossum (pictured) is eager to sing her machine’s praises: “My ML320 Bluetec has all the power and luxury you’d expect of a Mercedes-Benz, plus the efficiency and low environmental impact of an economy or even a hybrid vehicle.”

It seems the music world has also found a new definition of the Blues. Pop star Gwen Stefani drives a Bluetec-equipped Benz, and singer/songwriter Alanis Morisette put an E320 Bluetec sedan in the video for her new song “Underneath.” “I’m glad Mercedes-Benz has introduced a great option,” she says. Other cars wearing the three-pointed star and using this ammonia-squirting system have also appeared in what Mercedes-Benz describes as this season’s hottest TV shows, but the company puts “The Starter Wife” on the list.

-- Colin Ryan

Photo: Mercedes-Benz

For sale -- a car that came out of the ark

“Look at this. It’s worthless -- ten dollars from a vendor in the street. But I take it, I bury it in the sand for a thousand years, it becomes priceless.” So says Belloq, the baddie in the first Indiana Jones movie, “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” The owners of this car aren’t going down the same dusty path.

It’s the Nazi staff car featured in that film’s famous chase scene and it is up for auction, with an expected selling price of somewhere between $60,000 and $80,000. Like most things in Hollywood, it isn’t what it seems. Although made to look like a 1937 Mercedes-Benz, it’s actually constructed from various bits of classic Jaguars. Indy would no doubt have deduced this had he known that Craig Hinton of Leaping Cats (based in Coventry, England), was the man tasked with creating this machine, but he never got to look underneath like he did with that Mercedes truck.

For carcheologists, Hinton bolted together a Mark V body over a Mark IX chassis, put in a 285-horsepower XKE engine and a four-speed manual transmission, then drove to it from England to Tunisia, north Africa, where the filming was taking place. It had to withstand the rigors of shooting a car chase and be capable of 120 mph. Like badges of honor, the rear passenger side still has a few dents that resulted from the car’s starring role.

It’s drivable too. Vital fluids have been replaced and the brake system (with discs front and rear) has been bled. The auction takes place on Dec. 11 at noon, Pacific time. Interested parties -- like Harrison Ford, perhaps? -- can put in a bid online at eBay live auctions or www.liveauctioneers.com. The car is currently on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum and is just one of over 500 lots going under the hammer as part of Profiles in History’s Hollywood #33 auction.

What would be really cool is if Indy’s magic pants were up for sale. Being dragged for hundreds of yards at high speed over a desert road and not one rip? What were they made of?

-- Colin Ryan

Photo: Profiles in History

AMG set to make the world go faster

AMG is to Mercedes-Benz as the M badge is to BMW and RS is to Audi. Think high power, improved aerodynamics, sharper suspensions and beefed-up brakes. Naturally, such engineering and tuning comes at a price, so someone would be forgiven for thinking that this side of the auto industry is probably a little sluggish at the moment. But as if we needed reminding of the rich, paradoxical pageant we call life, AMG is planning to expand.

By the end of 2009, 175 new AMG Performance Centers should be established in various locations throughout the world. Germany, of course, is one. And Southern California is another happy hunting ground for this operation. Now add China and Japan, then throw Russia into the mix, plus 10 more.

The objective is to raise the level of service an AMG customer can enjoy -- from ordering a car and selecting options, to delivery and maintenance. Each center will have a hot line linking it to the AMG HQ back in the Fatherland, where assorted specialists will be available to address any questions or issues.

The SL 65 AMG Black Series is typical of what the company does. Under the hood is a V-12 engine with twin turbochargers, creating an electronically limited 661 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. This kind of muscle goes beyond thrilling and heads straight for hysteria-inducing. The standard SL’s retractable top is replaced by a fixed roof made of carbon fiber. Many other parts of the car are made from the same material in an effort to keep weight down. Standstill to 60 mph ticks by in just 3.2 seconds and top speed is pegged at 199 mph.

With a price of about $320,000, the SL 65 AMG Black Series is a limited production model, with 175 examples heading stateside. And those are all spoken for. No bailouts needed here.

-- Colin Ryan

Photo: Mercedes-Benz

L.A. Auto Show: Mercedes-Benz’s wish is MyCOMAND

Onboard navigation? AM/FM radio? CD player? What year is this, 2008 or something? Mercedes-Benz is way ahead of the curve with its new (though as yet unavailable) infotainment system. Although the head unit and controls look and feel familiar, what goes on behind the scenes is altogether different.