Sales of Mercedes-Benz C-Class Soar in November
Popularity of Luxury Automaker’s Entry-Level Offering Helps It Post Best November on Record
HAVERHILL, Mass., Dec. 8, 2011 – Last month, Mercedes-Benz dealers watched their luxury vehicles roll off the lots in record numbers, according to the German automaker’s recently released sales figures. Mercedes-Benz reported its best November to date thanks to the popularity of models like the all-new 2012 C-Class and the Mercedes Benz E-Class.
Mercedes-Benz moved 28,255 units in November, representing a 55.2-percent increase compared to the 18,208 vehicles sold in November 2010. Leading in sales last month was the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the automaker’s recently refreshed sports sedan aimed at luring younger drivers to the brand. With 8,358 units sold, the C-Class saw a 112.7-percent increase compared to the same month last year, hinting that buyers are taking to its upgraded interior and two new powerful yet efficient engines.
“The C-Class has proven very popular since its refresh was released at the end of the summer, and now it’s helped Mercedes-Benz post three record months in a row,” said James Buckley, general manager of Haverhill, Massachusetts Mercedes-Benz dealer Smith Motor Sales. “Buyers are now getting a quality interior in the C-Class that rivals the one found in the pricier E-Class, which is more than holding its own in sales as well.”
As the luxury automaker’s second-best selling vehicle last month, the E-Class sold 5,095 units, a 2.2-percent increase compared with the November 2010 total of 4,986 units. So far in 2011, Mercedes-Benz E-Class sales are up 3.9 percent with 57,435 units sold, an increase of more than 2,000 units compared to the same period in 2010.
The versatility of the E-Class has helped it appeal to a variety of age brackets, as it is available as a sedan, coupe, convertible or wagon. Designed for those who want to inject as much power and performance into their daily lives as possible, the E-Class is available with a 4.6-liter twin-turbo V8 engine that can deliver up to 402 horsepower. Meanwhile, standard paddle shifters and an Agility Control 4-wheel multilink suspension provide performance-oriented handling.
Year-to-date, Mercedes-Benz has sold 219,491 cars and SUVs, bringing it to within 1,600 vehicles of taking the U.S. luxury lead away from BMW for the year. Mercedes-Benz outsold its Munich-based rival by more than 5,000 units in the United States last month.
“Mercedes-Benz has simply has had more to offer than BMW across its lineup in recent months, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s a C-Class, an E-Class or an M-Class at the top of the charts,” added Buckley. “Some customers prefer sporty models and others prefer the luxury-focused rides, but increasingly they are putting their trust in Mercedes-Benz over its rivals.”
Mercedes-Benz Zooms Past BMW in October Sales
Luxury Automaker Reports Best-Ever October in United States
HAVERHILL, Mass., Nov. 10, 2011 – Luxury car buyers in the United States opted to purchase more Mercedes-Benz vehicles than any other luxury make last month, according to sales figures from the German automaker. Led by sales of its new 2012 C-Class, Mercedes-Benz surpassed its chief competitor BMW in October despite a 35-percent increase in new vehicle incentives from its rival.
Mercedes-Benz also reported that its performance last month amounted to its best October U.S. sales ever, selling 24,449 vehicles and increasing U.S. deliveries by 28.2 percent compared to October of 2010. The automaker is now up 12 percent in overall sales year-to-date against the same period last year, moving 206,632 units from Mercedes-Benz dealerships around the United States thus far in 2011.
“Last month Mercedes-Benz just had more to offer to consumers than the competition did, and the result was a huge jump in sales,” said James Buckley, general manager of Haverhill, Massachusetts Mercedes-Benz dealer Smith Motor Sales. “The E-Class and M-Class did very well, and the C-Class, not surprisingly, attracted a host of new luxury fans thanks to its redesign for 2012.”
With an impressive 87.9 percent sales increase compared with October 2010, the new 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class was the leading contributor to the automaker’s record sales last month. As Mercedes-Benz’s gateway sports sedan marketed toward younger luxury auto buyers, the C-Class sold 7,084 units with the help of its upgraded interior and two new powerful yet fuel-efficient engines.
The Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class also performed very well in October, achieving a 192.3 percent increase compared with its sales from the same month last year. The powerful four-door coupe showed off its aftermarket potential earlier this month at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas. Customized by Japanese tuning company Wald International, a bold Black Bison Edition of the CLS-Class showed up at SEMA with a bright yellow-orange matte paint job, black Forgiato wheels with contrasting orange brake calipers and other sporty upgrades.
Wald International also featured a Black Bison Edition of the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class roadster at the SEMA Show this year. Like the Black Bison CLS-Class, the modified SL-Class featured side skirts and a rear spoiler while adding an aero kit available in fiber-reinforced plastic, wet carbon or a hybrid material. New bumpers, 20-inch wheels, wheel-arch extensions and a new exhaust system also contributed to the aggressive look of the tricked-out Mercedes-Benz.
“Most auto shows reveal totally new concept cars, and many of those don’t make it to production, but SEMA gives consumers ideas of how they can customize vehicles that are already on sale,” added Buckley. “Most of our customers enjoy the classic Mercedes-Benz look too much to ever modify their cars, but it’s always fun to see what other people have done.”
Mercedes-Benz Offers Facebook Fans Adventure in New C-Class Coupe
Contest Gives 10 Winners $2,000 and a Week in All-New C-Class
HAVERHILL, Mass., Oct. 10, 2011 – Tech-savvy Mercedes-Benz fans are being encouraged by the luxury automaker to exercise their creativity with their video cameras on a mission to “C-Coupe their week.” Mercedes-Benz’s new Facebook contest, running now through 5 p.m. PDT on October 14, will reward the creators of the 10 best fan videos with a week in a brand-new 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe, as well as a $2,000 stipend.
Mercedes-Benz is calling for video submissions of one to two minutes in length that describe the kind of adventure the contestant would have driving a 2012 C-Class Coupe. In addition to spending a week with the car, the 10 winners will each receive a $2,000 stipend to be put toward their chosen adventure. Each winner will also be featured on the Mercedes-Benz Facebook page.
“This contest offers a great opportunity for drivers to experience a more youthful addition to the Mercedes-Benz lineup,” said James Buckley, general manager of Haverhill, Massachusetts Mercedes-Benz dealer Smith Motor Sales. “The new C-Class Coupe has the performance, technology and style to appeal to younger drivers who have never walked into a Mercedes-Benz dealer before.”
The recently unleashed 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250 Coupe and its refreshed sedan brother feature a new 1.8-liter 201-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine, while the all-new C350 models come with a more powerful 3.5-liter V6 engine that delivers 302 horsepower. Each model features the same seven-speed automatic transmission, along with upgraded interior materials, restyled front and rear bumpers and new headlights and taillights.
Other features in 2012 C-Class vehicles available at Mercedes-Benz dealerships, like the newly offered Attention Assist, will keep contest winners safe as they live out their weeklong adventures. The system alerts drivers if they are drifting or jerking the steering wheel like a sleepy driver may, and suggests that drivers pull over to rest. Equally important for New England Mercedes-Benz drivers is grip on treacherous winter roads, and that’s where the all-wheel-drive 2012 C300 4MATIC comes in. 4MATIC integrates with the C300’s Electronic Stability Program and its 4-wheel Electronic Traction System to provide extra control when rounding corners and when the roads are slick.
Safety precautions aside, the C-Class models still offer plenty of opportunity for fun. Winners of the C-Coupe Your Week Facebook contest will be able to experience the vehicle’s Agility Control suspension system, which can adjust itself to each of the 10 drivers’ specific driving styles as well as varying road conditions.
“The new C-Class sedans and coupes are the most affordable Mercedes-Benz models, but you can’t tell by looking at them,” added Buckley. “All of the 2012 model upgrades make the new C-Class vehicles look, feel and handle like you would think a more costly car would. Its interior is now on par with the pricier E-Class and customers now have two smooth new engines to choose from.”
Anyone wishing to enter Mercedes-Benz’s C-Coupe Your Week Facebook contest must go to http://www.facebook.com/mercedesbenzusa to upload a video. See contest rules for details.
Mercedes-Benz Takes Green Beyond the Courts at US Open
United States Tennis Association Reduces Its Carbon Footprint with BlueTEC Technology
HAVERHILL, Mass., Sept. 12, 2011 – Tennis may not seem like a sport with a large carbon footprint, but moving officials, players and coaches to and from events can drive up emissions in a surprising way. As the “Official Vehicle” of the 2011 US Open, Mercedes-Benz is backing green initiatives enacted by the United States Tennis Association by bringing the new diesel 2012 S350 BlueTEC 4MATIC sedan to the event at Flushing Meadows in Queens, New York.
Available at Mercedes-Benz dealerships this fall, the S350 BlueTEC marks the return of the diesel-powered Mercedes-Benz S-Class to the United States after a 17-year absence. The newest diesel is joining the Mercedes-Benz S400 HYBRID sedan and Sprinter vans to service athletes at the US Open, which began on August 29 and is running through September 12.
“Mercedes-Benz fans have been waiting for a new diesel S-Class for a while and now it’s here,” said James Buckley, general manager of Haverhill, Massachusetts Mercedes-Benz dealer Smith Motor Sales. “I can’t think of a better blend of fuel economy, power and luxury than the S350 BlueTEC and its hybrid sister, the S400 HYBRID. We are spoiled with choices right now.”
At face value, it would seem like a 3.0-liter V6 could hardly provide the pace Mercedes-Benz drivers have grown accustomed to from the S-Class, which currently offers customers the choice of two V8 engines or two V12 units for gasoline-powered models. However, the Mercedes-Benz BlueTEC powerplant in the diesel model produces 240 horsepower and 455 pound-feet of torque. That torque is available at just 1,600 rpm, which means the S-Class’ trait of refined, effortless acceleration remains strong in this new model.
The Mercedes-Benz S350 BlueTEC returns an impressive 31 mpg on the highway with its seven-speed automatic transmission and standard 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system. That is much better fuel economy than both of the S350 BlueTEC’s competitors, the BMW ActiveHybrid 750i and Lexus LS 600h, both of which fail to reach even 25 mpg on the highway.
Mercedes-Benz packed the S350 BlueTEC full of the premium amenities expected at the pinnacle of the luxury car world. The luxury sedan features AIRMATIC air suspension with adaptive dampers that adjust to road conditions and the COMAND in-car media system featuring voice control and a 40-gigabyte hard drive for storing music and other media. The S350 BlueTec also has 14-way power heated and ventilated front seats, a good thing considering the ability of the S350 BlueTEC’s diesel engine to go long distances without fill-ups.
“Mercedes-Benz offers a number of choices for the Massachusetts S-Class shopper,” Buckley added. “There’s the twin-turbocharged V12-equipped S600 for power junkies, the fuel-sipping S400 HYBRID, and now the clean-running S350 BlueTEC for those that want fuel economy without sacrificing much in power. The one thing that isn’t a choice is the luxurious amenities, which you’ll find inside every S-Class model.”
New Mercedes-Benz B-Class Proves That a Benz Doesn’t Have to Be Big
United States-Bound Model Looks to Set the Bar for Compact Luxury
HAVERHILL, Mass., Aug. 11, 2011 – Small cars have caught on in a big way in the United States, as consumers look to downsize without downgrading. The next generation of the Mercedes-Benz B-Class will soon be heading stateside to help buyers do just that. Mercedes-Benz will pull back the curtain on its redesigned B-Class compact vehicles at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show taking place in mid-September before the cars reportedly head to U.S. Mercedes-Benz dealerships in 2012 for the first time.
The Mercedes-Benz B-Class will be available initially in three different body styles in the United States, allowing compact buyers a choice between a coupe, sedan and even a crossover, all while helping Mercedes-Benz to reach upcoming federal fuel economy standards that require a fleet-wide average of 35.5 mpg by 2016.
“The B-Class has been sold in Europe since 2005, where it has been popular with city drivers,” said James Buckley, general manager of Haverhill, Massachusetts Mercedes-Benz dealer Smith Motor Sales. “While it may look small on the outside, Mercedes-Benz has put a lot of effort into maximizing interior space, so the B-Class will feel like a much larger car. Of course, since it’s a Mercedes-Benz model, the driving experience will be top notch.”
The compact B-Class will still deliver the interior amenities expected of a Mercedes-Benz, meaning high-quality materials and innovative technology. Official photos of the interior reveal appointments that wouldn’t be out of place in larger vehicles like the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and the B-Class is designed with proportions that increase space and create an open feel that should appeal to drivers accustomed to driving bigger cars.
The images of the B-Class show an interior design anchored by jet-engine-like circular air vents pulled from the high-end SMS ALG, as well as a new three-spoke steering wheel seen in the CLS-Class. ARTICO man-made leather may also accent the contoured dashboard, providing the feel of leather but with easier upkeep – an important consideration because the B-Class will likely be pressed into service as a modern family car.
With a family’s need for reliability and fuel economy in mind, Mercedes-Benz designed a series of turbocharged, direct-injected gas and diesel engines for the B-Class, though the automaker has not yet announced which will be featured in U.S. versions of the vehicles. The B-Class will also include a new seven-speed dual-clutch transmission that should help further improve fuel efficiency, while safety technology like Adaptive Headlamp Assist, radar-based Collision Prevention Assist and Adaptive Brake Assist will be some of the most advanced in the compact segment.
“The smaller build of the B-Class will appeal to those who live or work in Boston because it’s easier to park and navigate through traffic, but its interior will maintain a spacious and stylish haven away from all the noise and chaos of a morning commute,” Buckley noted. “It’s the right mix of size, luxury and fuel economy that has previously been unavailable for compact car buyers, and I expect American drivers to take notice.”
Mercedes-Benz Diesel Sales Surge In June
BlueTEC Clean Diesel Vehicles Prove Popular with American Buyers
HAVERHILL, Mass., July 14, 2011 -- While diesel powerplants have yet to outsell their gasoline-powered counterparts, they are quickly making headway in Mercedes-Benz’s lineup, where U.S. diesel sales increased 128.4 percent in June. With improved technology in recent years, diesel engines have begun to shed their reputation for being dirty and noisy, and Mercedes-Benz in particular has gone to great lengths to incorporate clean-burning engines into the models at Mercedes-Benz dealerships.
Diesel powerplants are a popular option in Europe, but America’s adoption of the powerful and fuel-efficient technology has been slow. Still, Mercedes-Benz has introduced its latest diesel technology to U.S. drivers by offering some of its most-popular vehicles with its BlueTEC clean diesel powerplants, including the 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL350, ML350, and R350 SUVs, as well as the E350 sedan. So far, the German automaker’s plan has worked, and Mercedes-Benz has sold 5,953 diesel-powered vehicles through June of this year in the United States, a 188.3 percent increase over the same period last year.
“Diesels sure aren’t what they used to be,” said James Buckley, general manager of Massachusetts Mercedes-Benz dealer Smith Motor Sales. “There’s no more soot, no more vibration and diesel models don’t lose any performance compared to a gasoline-powered vehicle. In fact, some drivers may find the superior torque of the BlueTEC diesels to be a pleasant surprise.”
The three-liter V6 turbo-diesel powerplants found in all North American Mercedes-Benz BlueTEC models are smoother, more fuel-efficient and quieter than their predecessors thanks to their using AdBlue, a new water-based additive that transforms nitrogen oxides into clean nitrogen and water in the catalytic converter. As a result, the amount of soot and pollutants released by the BlueTEC clean diesel engine is significantly reduced, while its power output remains potent.
The Mercedes-Benz BlueTEC engine provides the GL350 BlueTEC with the ability to tow up to 7,500 pounds when properly equipped, thanks to the 400 pound-feet of torque on tap. While the BlueTEC diesel may be powerful, it is surprisingly efficient, allowing the seven-passenger GL350 with seven-speed automatic transmission to get 21 mpg on the highway even with standard 4MATIC four-wheel drive.
Beyond the engine bay, there are no differences between the GL350 BlueTEC and the gasoline-burning GL350s. There is still 83.3 cubic feet of cargo room available with the rear seats folded down, and the GL350 BlueTEC can handle cargo as long as 83.8 inches, which is nearly seven feet. Adding to the GL350’s useful resume is the optional Roof Rack Basic Carrier that works with various racks to hold nearly 200 pounds of gear, be it skis, bikes or kayaks.
“The GL350 BlueTEC is a great option for families on the move, providing versatile luxury and impressive performance,” Buckley added. “It can handle a wide range of cargo from bicycles to antique dressers, and its diesel engine provides remarkable efficiency for a model that delivers so much power.”
