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Mercedes-Benz Records Best November Sales Ever

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) achieved its highest November sales volume on record with 22,819 units sold for the month, a 3.4 percent increase over last November's 22,079 record volume. This brings MBUSA's year-to-date sales total to 225,904 units - a 2.8 percent increase over the same period last year - which keeps Mercedes-Benz on track for accomplishing its 14th consecutive year of annual sales growth.

Sales of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class rose 56 percent (6,920 units vs. 4,435 units) for the month, and 26.3 percent compared to last year's year-to-date results (56,802 vs. 44,990). Other highlights for the month include gains for the legendary SL-Class roadster which posted 488 units, a 7 percent increase over the same month last year. In addition, the popularity of the GL-Class, Mercedes-Benz's full-size, 7-passenger SUV, contributed to the company's record sales month, marking a 2.8 percent increase (2,349 vs. 2,285 units) for the month and a significant jump of 51.4 percent compared to last year's year- to-date results (23,370 vs. 15,439 units). Other Mercedes-Benz model lines that achieved increases in their year-to-date volumes include the top-of-the- line CL-Class luxury coupe (243.9 percent increase), and the popular M-Class SUV (7.8 percent gain).

Separately, through the Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre-Owned program, MBUSA sold 3,620 vehicles in November, bringing the Certified Pre-Owned year-to-date total to 46,844, an increase of 8 percent over the same period last year.

Mercedes-Benz USA, headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey, is responsible for the sales, marketing and service of all Mercedes-Benz products in the United States. In 2006, MBUSA achieved an all-time sales record of 248,080 new vehicles, setting the highest sales volume ever in its history and achieving 13 consecutive years of sales growth.

Source: [TheAutoChannel.com]


Mercedes-Benz Splitview Technology to Make U.S. Debut at LA Show

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class has long been a hotbed for automotive innovation, and the large German sedan will continue that tradition at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show. Following its world debut last December, Mercedes-Benz' Splitview technology will make its U.S. debut this month.

Co-developed between Mercedes-Benz and Bosch, the Splitview technology allows for dual-use of the S-Class' center-mounted LCD screen. The system allows the driver to have access to the vehicle's navigation system while the front seat passenger can watch a DVD on the very same screen.

Mercedes-Benz' Splitview technology was originally slated to hit the market a few months ago, but was ultimately delayed. Mercedes failed to give a reason for the delay, but it was likely tied to legality concerns over the system. In August, Jaguar design head Ian Callum stated the system was "technically illegal". Apparently, the NHTSA has given the technology a pass.

Source: [Left Lane News]

First Look: 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet

A Four-Season Cavorter
December 12, 2009 / By Frank Markus


Bet you didn't know the origin of the word "cabriolet." In the horse-and-buggy era, the word was applied to lightweight open carriages pulled by two horses and used primarily for pleasure rides in fair weather. The word was pinched from the French verb "cabrioler," meaning "to cavort" -- move about carelessly, playfully or boisterously -- or "to cut a caper." The next installment in Mercedes-Benz long line of "cavorters" isn't exactly lightweight, but it promises to extend pleasure driving well beyond the traditional fair-weather season, thanks to a new innovation dubbed Aircap.

Aircap is engineered to work with the headrest-mounted neck-warming Airscarf to make top-down driving comfortable in the chillier weather that prevails in the U.K., Germany, and other northern climes where convertible sales are strongest. The challenge presented to engineers was to provide a largely draft-free top-down driving experience for all four passengers, ruling out those mesh screen gizmos that render the rear seat unusable. They started work in the 1990s and developed several solutions that were functional but aesthetically unpalatable.

The decade-plus spent developing this concept will finally pay off on the 2011 E-Class. The solution consists of a discreet piano-black panel that normally lies flush along the top of the windshield header. When deployed, it rises 2.4 inches, erecting a nylon screen fence similar to those used by some sunroof wind deflectors. Another screen bridging between the rear head restraints simultaneously moves up into place at the touch of a button. About 50 percent of the air hitting the front screen flows through it, slowing down by about 30 percent. This helps create a laminar (smooth) airflow that nearly traces the profile of the convertible top, with calm air below, and turbulent air above. This calm air zone can be heated in winter or cooled in summer.

Source: MotorTrend