Every once in a while, car manufacturers will release what amounts to a technological tour-de-force on the road just to remind us what they are capable of. Nissan has the impossibly capable GT-R that tears the Nurburgring at speeds overshadowing cars twice its price. The VW Group has the almighty Bugatti Veyron, which despite its jaw-dropping price tag, is sold at a loss each unit.

Back in the 1960s, Mercedes had the 600, which was built to be not only the best Mercedes, but simply to be the best, full stop. It was aimed to compete not with any BMW, but rather with Rolls-Royce - which illustrates how big a brief this massive Benz fills. Launched in Sept 1963, the 600, remained in production in 1981. There was no successor to model in the Mercedes line-up, though its place is now occupied by the Maybach 57 and 62.

The 600 came with short and long wheelbase variants, called the 600 and 600 Pullman respectively.  There were also the Landaulet versions that came with a convertible open top for the rear passengers. The various versions of this car have found ways into the car porches of Jeremy Clarkson, QE II, Hugh Hefner, and an array of despotic leaders. Whether they appreciated it or not, they were possessing what amounted to a very finely crafted automobile that excels even in today’s standards.

The many motorized equipment on-board were all powered by a sophisticated 150 bar hydraulic system, and the car had self-levelling air suspension and disc brakes on all four corners. All the various niceties put into the car resulted in a three-tonne loaded weight (short wheelbase), in a car that stretches 5,450mm front to back and 1,950mm across. This needed some serious muscle to propel.

That task was handed to the then new M100 powerplant that displaced 6,330cc and produced 247hp @ 6,000rpm with a 530d-equalling torque of 500Nm @ 2,800rpm. The SOHC V8 powerplant, which featured fuel-injection and dry sump lubrication, sent all its output to the rear wheels via a 4-speed automatic transmission. This powertrain setup was good enough to give the 600 straightline performance that equalled the Porsche 911 of the day.

Recently, I saw a short wheelbase unit of the 600 in the parking lot of an office block in downtown KL. What can I say, that car was huge! Before I leave you with the pictures, allow me to wish all readers a Happy and Prosperous year for 2009. It’s going to be a tough year ahead for us all, let’s brace for it. Welcome 2009!

The Mercedes-Benz 600

This badge signals serious pedigree.

Front view.

Massive presence.

Size comparison: The Waja is parked nose-to-nose with the 600. Look at how much excess length behind.

Simple and elegant rear end.

One look at the spyshot above and I thought it was a Hyundai Sonata NF coupe, but of course the article says the picture is that of the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe, or CE in oldspeak and CLK in current tradition. We are not sure what they will call the new name, apparently they are thinking of using a new naming convention for the E-Class coupe…

The name is not as important as the fact that those tail lamps remind me of the Sonata…

If you want to see the ful set of E-Class coupe spyshot, please visit WCF Finland

Some hours ago, someone in a press room in Stuttgart put together a news release to announce to the world that the W204 Mercedes-Benz C-class was named in as one of 2009’s Top Safety Picks by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS), adding another star to the C-class’ cap after receiving a five star rating by EuroNCAP. In essence, the IIHS’ crash test IS the United States’ answer to the EuroNCAP.

In the IIHS crash tests, cars are subject to frontal and side crashes, besides a rear impact test where evaluations to the cars’ protection against neck injury are evaluated. According to Mercedes, the W204 scored ‘top marks’ for each of the criteria, but whether the term is defined to mean maximum marks or highest marks among competitors could not be ascertained.

The US spec C-class which was tested had seven airbags, belt tensioners, belt force limiters and NECK PRO crash-responsive head restraints fitted as standard. Buyers can also opt for an anticipatory occupant protection system (dubbed PRESAFE) which pre-activates certain safety systems when it anticipates a collision to be imminent - a system that Mercedes claims would reduce the impact on occupants by as much as 40%.

Merc C-class, one of 72 Top Safety Picks of 2009

But, I was not going to just take Mercedes’ side of the story, and thus I went on to examine the claims at the IIHS’ official website (link here) where they listed no fewer than 72 Top Safety Picks for 2009 with another 26 ‘also-rans’. Here they are: (cars sold in Malaysia highlighted in bold)

Large cars
Acura RL
Audi A6
Cadillac CTS
Ford Taurus
Lincoln MKS
Mercury Sable
Toyota Avalon
Volvo S80

Midsize cars
Acura TL, TSX
Audi A3, A4
BMW 3 series 4-door models
Ford Fusion with optional electronic stability control
Honda Accord 4-door models
Mercedes C class
Mercury Milan with optional electronic stability control
Saab 9-3
Subaru Legacy (previously sold in Malaysia)
Volkswagen Jetta, Passat

Midsize convertibles
Saab 9-3
Volkswagen Eos
Volvo C70

Small cars
Honda Civic 4-door models (except Si) with optional electronic stability control
Mitsubishi Lancer with optional electronic stability control
Scion xB
Subaru Impreza with optional electronic stability control
Toyota Corolla with optional electronic stability control
Volkswagen Rabbit (VW Golf)

Minicar
Honda Fit with optional electronic stability control (Honda Jazz)

Minivans
Honda Odyssey
Hyundai Entourage
Kia Sedona

Large SUVs
Audi Q7
Buick Enclave
Chevrolet Traverse
GMC Acadia
Saturn Outlook

Midsize SUVs
Acura MDX, RDX
BMW X3, X5
Ford Edge, Flex, Taurus X
Honda Pilot
Hyundai Santa Fe, Veracruz
Infiniti EX35
Lincoln MKX
Mercedes M class
Nissan Murano (only unofficially availabe in Malaysia)
Saturn VUE
Subaru Tribeca
Toyota FJ Cruiser, Highlander
Volvo XC90

Small SUVs
Ford Escape (new generation not sold in Malaysia)
Honda CR-V, Element
Mazda Tribute
Mercury Mariner
Mitsubishi Outlander
Nissan Rogue
Subaru Forester
Toyota RAV4
Volkswagen Tiguan

Large pickups
Ford F-150
Honda Ridgeline
Toyota Tundra

Small pickup
Toyota Tacoma (Toyota Hilux)

ALSO-RANS
These 26 vehicles earn good ratings in front and side crash tests. They have ESC, standard or optional. They would be 2009 Top Safety Pick winners if their seat/head restraints also earn good ratings:

Chevrolet Malibu
Chrysler Sebring, Sebring convertible, Town & Country
Dodge Avenger, Grand Caravan
Infiniti G35, M35
Kia Amanti
Lexus ES, GS, IS
Mazda CX-7, CX-9
Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder, Endeavor
Nissan Altima, Pathfinder, Quest, Xterra
Saturn AURA
Smart Fortwo
Toyota 4Runner, Camry, Prius, Sienna

As of November, Mercedes-Benz have sold a combined total of 1,158,200 cars for the year 2008, a slight from 1,169,900 cars from the corresponding period in 2007. The credit crunch is just only beginning to hit, as the picture gets gloomier if you zoom in closer to examine the sales in November alone, which stood at 84,500 cars compared to 113,000 in Nov 2007.

The said figures, obtained from a press released dated 5 Dec 2008, covered all of Mercedes-Benz, AMG, smart and Maybach cars. Merc-badged cars accounted for the bulk of the numbers, and they are dropping, selling a combined total of 1,034,700 for Jan-Nov 2008 (1,079,400 for Jan-Nov 2007) and 74,400 for Nov 2008 alone (102,700 for Nov 2007).

Fortunately for Merc, the smarts registered improved numbers, with a total of 123,500 sold thus far this year (90,500 for Jan-Nov 2007) and 10,100 of them sold in Nov 2008 (10,300 for Nov 2007, so not much change there). The soaring fuel prices in the early half of the year, and the collapsing global economic climate definitely had everything to do with this, as consumers seek to purchase smaller, more economical cars.

There is still a bit more good news for Merc, as there are now more than 500,000 units of the new W204 C-Class sold, with 408,100 of them sold this year alone. The wagon variant, not officially available in Malaysia, found 5,400 buyers in November 2008 (1,800 for Nov 2007), while (according to the press release anyway) the sedan maintained its position as the worldwide market leader in its segment since the beginning of the year.

Recently added to the W204 lineup is the C350 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY (Merc’s emphasis on the word ‘efficiency’), which features second generation gasoline direct injection. Fed with a diet of premium fuel, Merc claims an astonishing consumption figure of 8.3l / 100km from the 288bhp 3,498cc V6 engine. In comparison, the run of the mill C350 is rated at a mere 268bhp and consumes 14% more fuel.

The next BlueEFFICIENCY variant will come from the S-Class in the form of the S320 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY, which is gives an even more amazing consumption figure of 7.6l / 100km. The 3.0-litre V6 diesel powerplant is rated to produce 235bhp and a not inconsiderable 540Nm of torque. It is coupled with the 7G-Tronic, that has standstill decoupling, a feature designed to totally disconnect the transmission from the engine (think stepping the clutch in a manual), to spare it from the trouble of overcoming the hydrodynamic resistance in the torque converter. This improves fuel consumption (by how much, I don’t know) and also reduces noise and vibration during idling.

Whatever their motivations were, the decisions by the European authorities to impose stringent emission and consumption requirements in their cars has had the positive effect of driving car manufacturers to come up with products that are easy on both the environment and our wallet. This is doubly useful when you consider the current shape of the worldwide economy.

I am afraid we have really yet to see the full effects of the global financial meltdown. In the car world, we have already seen Honda pulling out of F1 and the American motor giants on the brink of a collapse of epic proportions. Mercedes should survive, but are unlikely to be unscathed. Don’t be surprised if the figure in next year’s edition of this report features one digit less.

Strong sales for 2008, let’s see if they can hold it for 2009.

Throughout my days as a car nut watching out for and attending various car events, I notice that these things have a natural tendency to come out together. It’s like there are magnets around certain dates which cause the manufacturers and dealers to pick them. A good example was the last weekend, where this writer attended no less than five events throughout the Klang Valley.

Among the five, is the Naza Carnival 2008 at the Naza Auto Mall along the Federal Highway. I usually don’t care much for showroom events organised by Naza Motors, because for all the glamorous machines they have on display, all you’ll ever do is just to look at the cars and do nothing more.

Carnival atmosphere here for two days.

The thing about me is this, as crazy as I am about cars, the idea of just seeing a car without driving it doesn’t excite me terribly - no matter how ’up there’ it is. As such, I usually give events without test drives a skip.

So, you’d probably understand that I did not go to the Naza Carnival 2008 on Sunday at Naza Auto Mall with bags of enthusiasm, even though there was a test drive for the Peugeot 407 available, part of the 407 Test Drive Me campaign, and a row of Kia test cars parked in front of the showroom.

Available for test drive.

My companion and I tested none of those. Instead, we went around looking, admiring and photographing the what everyone knows to be the largest collection of the finest and most exotic automobiles in the country. My personal guess is that the nett worth of their cars is probably worth, no, not a house, but a whole premier housing estate.

Each more expensive than an average house.

As we were walking, a young (and reasonably attractive) lady approached me to give me a little sticker, assuring me that it’s absolutely free, and then convincing me to part with forty one and a half of my ringgits for an RM36 Shell petrol card, a Shell James Bond Aston Martin DBS collector’s toy car and a total of RM60 worth of lubricant vouchers. It was a reasonable deal, if only for the lubricant vouchers, though I must admit that a male salesperson won’t stand half a chance sealing the deal.

Not long after handing over my cash to the lady, there was the cracking sound of a Ferrari V8 engine nearby. They were having a ‘Product Presentation’ session for the Ferrari F430. There was also another one for the 599 GTB Fiorano scheduled earlier, but I missed that one.

Presenting the F430 & 599 GTB Fiorano

And here’s my opinion on the ‘Product Presentation’: it was not up to scratch. The presenter was fumbling through his ‘cheat sheet’ stammering through words. It begs the question why an entity of Naza’s considerable resources did not spend more of it to train him better before going on stage.

However, that presentation, together with our up close encounters with the likes of the Nissan GT-R, the BMW M3, the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, the Ferrari Enzo, the Maserati MC-12, and many others, faded into obscure memory for me and my companion as we came across something a lot more astonishing - at the Peugeot section!

Nissan GT-R

BMW M3

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren

Ferrari Enzo - yours for RM6.68m

Oi, don’t touch la, cannot read ar?

Maserati MC-12

All the money went to the cars, leaving nothing for the plumbing.

Surprisingly, but by far, the best part of the show was here.

Believe it or not, on our way home, our thoughts were dominated by the humble Naza 206 Bestari. In all my years following the car industry, never before in my life, have I ever come across a deal that reads like this: RM0 downpayment, 0% interest for 12 years. Yes, that’s right.. 12 YEARS! The amount of time needed to raise kids, and we have a loan package that lasts that long and charges no interest.

Staring in disbelief, we scratched our heads at the incredulity of the deal and pressed the poor salesgirl serving us to reveal all the fine print. There was none. You pay an RM100 booking fee, you wait one week, you drive the car away - just like that. Then each month, for the next 144 months, you pay RM390 (M/T) or RM425(A/T) back to Naza Credit, you get yourself a brand new Naza 206 Bestari.

We pressed to ask if the offer was just 0% interest for the first one or two years, but the salesgirl firmly said 0% for 12 years - a claim verified by her colleague. Now, I am used to hearing all sorts of baseless claims from salespeople, but the black and white on the pamphlets are clear: 0% interest for 12 years - no fine print whatsoever.

Here’s the most astonishing thing: after adding up the total instalments of RM390 and RM425 respectively over 12 months times 12 years, we arrived at a figure LOWER than the advertised price. There was no indication how long this offer is going to last, but I’d recommend anyone shopping for a car to check this deal out. I am not recommending whether you buy it or you don’t, but this is too amazing not to even look at it.

Thinking of getting one?

Now, do you still recall the Ferraris, the M3 or the GT-R earlier in this post? Don’t worry, neither did I.

Mercedes resurrects E230 badge and it immediately becomes hot seller

Some car names and badges are hard to get rid of, even if you try to ignore them, some motorists simply will not forget.

For Mercedes-Benz, that badge is the 230E, or, under the new naming convention, E230.

After an absence of a few years, the name is back in use but the numbers no longer denote the engine capacity as the car is now fitted with a 2,5-litre power unit but those are small details.

It is a small detail that fans are more than willing to ignore as long as they can have their old friend back.

The reason I am getting all nostalgic is to illustrate the proposition that the majority of car purchase are emotional buys and has very little to do with your head.

I read somewhere that most people have already decided whether they will buy a car or not just by looking at it. This is why car companies spend so much time and money making their cars as sexy and attractive as possible.

Well, most car companies do anyway…

So let us look at why the E230 is such a popular model.

Firstly it has everything to do with juvenile toilet ego; it’s about bragging rights, it’s about being able to say that mine is bigger than your engine…

Make no mistake about it, the E200 Kompressor is a good car but you see it only has a 1.8-litre engine and that will simply not d for some people, no matter how many horsepower the forced breathing can free.

Imagine getting into a conversation with friends at the golf club and having to disclose to your Honda Accord and Toyota Camry-driving buddies that your big Mercedes has a puny 1.8-litre four-cylinder under the hood.

After much restrained surprise, they will all nod sagely at the fuel efficiency, linear power delivery and overall performance but the now will come with curled lips of disapproval.

Although it is easy to label those who buy the E230 as status conscious social climbers, the car itself is actually a decent model and has enough differentiation to make it a plausible logical purchase rather than a purely emotional one.

Features like the panoramic sunroof, silky smooth 2.5-litre V6 motor, 7G-Tronic seven speed transmission and unique interior trim makes it a noticeably different car from the other siblings.

Obviously most people will buy the car for the engine because the V6 is a far more refined motor than the four-cylinder unit you find in the E200 Kompressor.

Apart from the mechanical refinement and distinct lack of vibration and harshness, the engine is a naturally aspirated unit and this gives it a more linear character which most traditional Mercedes drivers will prefer due to its more relaxed nature.

When matched to the 7G-Tronic transmission, the E230 becomes a fantastic mile eater and this will be a major consideration for a businessman on the go.

The combination of healthy torque spread and seven ratio means the E230 is a relaxed cruiser and passengers will arrive at their destinations hundreds of kilometres away whiel still fresh.

Then there is the interior trim package which includes stylish black bird’s eye maple which lifts the interior above the ordinary.

The usual comfort andluxury options such as Comand APS, linguatronic voice command, electric everything cruise control and leather makesthe cabin a great place to travel and work in.

Safety gets full marks as well with six airbags all around, including two curtain bags.

Anti lock brakes, electronic stability programme, tyre pressure sensors and PRE-SAFE front seats completes the safety equipment.

PRE-SAFE seats are unique to Mercedes Benz, basically they are linked to the sensors that regulate the electronic driver aids so that when the system detects a potential emergency, the seats will automatically upright themselves to the optimum safe position while the seatbelts are electrically tightened.

So you see, the old friend came back with a lot of new talent and those who choose her will enjoy the E230 for a whole host of reason that was not there before.

The price of privilege? RM398,888

E230 Features

2-Stage Front Airbags And Side Airbags For Driver And Front Passenger

6.5″ LCD Screen COMMAND APS With Navigation System

6-Disc CD-Changer

7G-TRONIC 7 Speed Automatic Transmission

ADAPTIVE BRAKE With HOLD Function And Hill Start Assist

Anti-Rust

Anti-Theft Alarm System With Interior Motion Sensor

Auto-Dimming Rear View And Driver’s Side Mirror

Black Bird’s Eye Maple Wood Trim

Brake Assist (BAS)

Central Locking

COMAND APS With Integral Radio

Electric Sunblind For Rear Windscreen

Electrically Adjustable Front Seats With Memory Function

Electronic Stability Programme (ESP)

Front to Rear Windowbags (Curtain Airbags)

Leather Upholstery

Linguatronic (voice control for telephone) - English

NECK-PRO, Crash Responsive Front Head Restraints

Power Windows

Pre-installation For Mobile Phone (Mobile Phone Not Included)

PRE-SAFE Positioning (Front Seat) Seat Belt Tensioners With Force Limiters (Front & Outer Rear Seat)

Rear Left And Right Side Airbags

Speed Sensitive Power Steering

SPEEDTRONIC Cruise Control With Speed Limiter

Split Folding Rear Seats

Steering Column and Exterior Mirror Electrically Adjustable With Memory

Sunblinds For Rear Doors

Sunvisors With Illuminated Vanity Mirrors

THERMOTRONIC Luxury Automatic Climate Control

Tyre Pressure Loss Warning System

Underbody Protection

Wood Leather Steering Wheel

Exterior

Bi-Xenon Headlamps with Intelligent Light System

Blue-Tinted Thermal Insulation Glass All Round

Electric Panoramic Sliding Glass Sunroof

Electrically Folding And Adjustable Exterior Side Mirrors

Parktronic System

Two-Stage Rain Sensor

In the Klang Valley, when we mention Mercedes-Benz, most people would think of Cycle and Carriage but actually there is another big player who has been doing brisk sales but never really caught many people’s attention and that company is NZ Wheels.

I think people don’t make the connection because it is part of the Naza group and therefore people probably think that NZ Wheels is another car supermarket, the truth is this is a dedicated Mercedes-Benz dealer and they are known for their good relationship with customers.

Datuk S.M. Zulkifli S.M. Amin runs a tight ship at NZ Wheels and he is keen to grow further and this is why the group just spent RM3 million to upgrade their very spacious showroom to add more class and elegance to the set up.

Congratulations to NZ Wheels, Datuk S.M. Zulkifli S.M. Amin, S.M. Faisal S.M. Nasimuddin and the Klang Autohaus team, hope you guys have a good year ahead

below is the full Press Release from NZ Wheels

NZ WHEELS LAUNCHES ITS BRAND NEW LOOK FOR FLAGSHIP AUTOHAUS IN KLANG
NZ Wheels Autohaus;  the “Malaysian Futuristic Lifestyle”
KUALA LUMPUR, 18th October 2008 – NZ Wheels Sdn Bhd, the sole importer for Complete Built-Up (CBU) Mercedes-Benz and authorized dealer in Malaysia today opened the doors to its brand new showroom – The NZ Wheels Klang Autohaus. The showroom was launched by En SM Faisal Tan Sri Dato Seri Utama SM Nasimuddin, CEO of NZ Wheels Sdn Bhd at a grand opening ceremony today.

A total of RM3 million was invested in making the showroom into the most comprehensive Mercedes-Benz Lifestyle Showroom in Malaysia. The investment includes innovative services, facilities, and lavish interior that provide NZ Wheels customers with an experience of “Malaysian Futuristic Lifestyle”, all of which will significantly be part of the majestic lifestyle of Mercedes-Benz.

NZ Wheels Klang Autohaus will be the only Mercedes-Benz showroom that showcases the full range of Mercedes-Benz models. Among the latest models available are the SL 63 AMG, CL 500 and GL 450. Along with the launch, NZ Wheels is stepping out of the norm to cater towards every single requirement for Mercedes-Benz owners. Be it a limited edition model or simply the unique customized color; NZ Wheels is determined to fulfill every request.

The Autohaus, which has won the Service Excellence Awards 2007 by Mercedes-Benz for the “Most Improved Autohaus” also features a  merchandise retail outlet, personalized delivery bay for the Mercedes-Benz experience, a café bar, a truly Malaysian Indoor Garden for your pleasure, professional service centre, together with the only dedicated AMG Corner in Malaysia consisting of all high performance Mercedes-Benz models and more.

“Since it’s humble establishment in 1994, NZ Wheels Sdn Bhd has fully-grown to become one of the largest authorised Mercedes-Benz dealership with the latest and widest range of Mercedes-Benz models. Hence, it is apt that this showroom has been upgraded above global requirement that Mercedes-Benz practices globally,” says En SM Faisal Tan Sri Dato Seri Utama SM Nasimuddin.

“This brand new showroom is specifically designed to meet the Mercedes-Benz lifestyle and features full range of services to prospective buyers and after sales services. Customers may enjoy various services available whilst enjoying a cup of coffee, treat on exclusive merchandise or enjoy relaxing ambience of nature at the garden,” added SM Faisal.

In line with NZ Wheels’s commitment towards “Excellence Customer Service”, the flagship showroom was designed to provide uncompromised quality of services. Each sales personnel at NZ Wheels Klang Autohaus are specialized and trained professionals for service and cars. Furthermore, they have undergone various Mercedes-Benz training modules which equip sales consultants with thorough vehicle knowledge and handling in all aspect of sales, after sales and customer quality assurance.

In addition to the exclusive Mercedes-Benz experience, a dedicated area consisting of two dedicated bays were designed to allow customers to oversee or even be part of the vehicle inspection process. A retail outlet will make available the latest Mercedes-Benz exclusive merchandise such as T-Shirts, travel bags, key chains and many more.

This showroom, themed Malaysian Futuristic Lifestyle and landscape concept of Malaysian Rainforest was designed by award winning landscapist, Mr Desmond Ho of Terra Garden. With the new look, features and expertise, NZ Wheels Klang Autohaus has deposited a whole new meaning to ultimate lifestyle and will be celebrated as “The Boutique” for Mercedes-Benz.

Various lifestyle activities are in the pipeline as NZ Wheels is looking forward to share exciting new projects with all NZ Wheels Mercedes-Benz owners.

Reknowned Mercedes-Benz importer and dealer, NZWheels Sdn Bhd re-launched their newly refurbished Autohaus in Klang on Sunday. The launching was performed by NZWheels’ CEO En SM Faisal Tan Sri Nasimuddin in a ceremony that quite clearly dressed the showroom to impress.

Carrying a theme of the ”Malaysian Futuristic Lifestyle”, the RM 3 million Autohaus is designated as NZWheels’ flagship Autohaus, and rightfully so, when you examine how well equipped this facility is. The SL63 AMG parked to the left as you step into the showroom signals that this showroom means business. Indeed, there is a whole corner dedicated to their AMG cars as you step further into the showroom.  Parked in this corner, are not the average Mercs with tacked on AMG kits, but the real deal monsters - such as the SLR and CLK DTM.

The SL63 AMG - means business!

The AMG corner - girl not included.

The rest of the showroom looked just as impressive, ensuring that every customer who walks in is cocooned in a premium and luxurious environment. Particularly impressive is the Malaysian Indoor Garden, a landscape which consists of a pond and beautifully arranged plants in an air-conditioned environment, allowing customers to enjoy themselves in a peaceful and serene environment.

It claims to be the ONLY Mercedes-Benz showroom in the country showcasing the entire Merc line-up, and caters towards every single requirement for Mercedes-Benz owners - be it a limited edition or a unique customized colour. It says in the press release kit: “NZWheels is determined to fulfill every request.”

The Malaysian Indoor Garden

Even after you have signed the order form, your experience with them does not need to end with your acceptance of the car keys. NZWheels have also invested in setting up a full-fledged service centre in the same premises to cater for your Mercedes’ maintenance needs. I was not given a tour of the workshop floor, but looking at it from across a glass window, it appears to be properly clean, professionally run and generously equipped. Of course, while the technicians fiddle with your car, you can pass your time pampering yourself with a cup of coffee or sink in the relaxing ambience of the Indoor Garden.

Service reception area

Your Mercedes is in good hands.

Even ignoring the sugar coated words of the press release, it was hard not to be impressed by this awesome facility. It has in its possession an arsenal of top class equipment, and has set a new standard for vehicle sales and service. In his speech, Faisal remarked that this is beyond a 3S centre, but rather it’s a 1S i.e. One Stop centre. It’s hard to disagree.

I’ll let the pictures tell the rest of the story.

Ultimate family transport for Mercedes-Benz fans

Th R-Class is not a vehicle that everyone would think: Yes I would love one. It is cradled in niche after niche.

First niche is the fact that it is an MPV.

Secondly it is a ’sporty MPV; which means it’s not as spacious as one that is upright.

Thirdly it is a luxury vehicle by Mercedes-Benz.

This simply means that the sales people trying to push this car has to get potential buyers to jump over three obstacles.

Even if you are in the market for a luxury sporting MPV, you may not necessarily like what Mercedes-Benz has done with the R-Class’ styling.

It looks exactly like what a Mercedes-Benz Sporting MPV would look like

but that means that those who are not fan of thebrands may find it difficult to understand.

Actually I do think that it is a rather elegant design but there is no escaping the size of the vehicle and I think that is what catches people off guard.

The proportion is well balanced and the overall shape is clean, simple and pleasing. It’s not going to win any beauty contest but it is a practical shape honed down to be as muscular as mildly toned 30-something, and they are really the target buyers for the R280.

The R-Class is pure Mercedes-Benz, you can take all the badges from outside and in the cabin and there would be no confusing it with anything else. The build quality is very good and the choice of materials commendable.

There is really nothing to complain about the interior because all the seats are comfortable, even the third row of seats, small and compact tough they may be , are well proportioned and can handle adults for short journeys.

The R280 comes with Mercedes-Benz’s Airmatic DC air suspension and this means you can choose the level of comfort that the suspension can offer.

The comfort setting is really soft, it’s as close to a magic carpet ride as you can get on an MPV but the inadequate damping means that suspension will crash over speedbumps at anything faster than jogging pace. But hey, you selected comfort because you are not in a hurry so it ceases to be a problem.

Normal setting gives you the typical firm but comfortable Mercedes Ride while the Sport setting really lets you feel every ripple on the road. The thing is, the sport setting is only practical when you are in a hurry, because it does give the R-Class taut handling but ride quality does suffer. Use the sports setting sparingly and leave the suspension in comfort or standard mode most of the time.

Personally I prefer the comfort mode but my kids get motion sickness from the gentle rolling and pitching movement, so I leave it in Standard most of the time. I guess this means that Mercedes has judged their standard ride quality very well….

The 2.8-litre engine has quite a job lugging this very generous body but like all Mercedes engine, it is a plugger, it will work hard and hardly complain. It may not be the most refined V6 powerplant in the world but mounted as it is on elastomers and insulated from teh cabin by thick padding,  the noise is hardly audible, it only becomes noticeable beyond 4,500rpm, even then the engine emits a decent mechanical hum while the exhaust barks gently from behind.

You can cruise at decent highway speed in the R280 but if you cannot expect to hustle it in the city because acceleration is best described as laid back and the car’s size prevents it from nipping in and out of gaps in traffic.

The engine develops 233 hp and 300 Newton metres of torque, which is enough to make it a decent drive but overtaking long convoys on single carraigeway roads will take a bit of planning because you need the engine to spool up to beyond 3,000 rpm before you get that wall of torque to accelerate past slower traffic

The R-Class is an MPV so outright speed is nto crucial, to prove that point, I will remind you that MErcedes Benz had to discontinue the R65AMG, the superfast version of the family transport because nto enough people wanted it….

So the fact that it has a 2.8-litre engien rather than the larger 3.5-litre motor is a question of ego.

Price? RM458,888.

Shooting brake concept hints at upcoming E-Class

If you want to know what the next generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class would look like, then inspect the Concept Fascination closely.

This concept car, which will debut at the Paris Motor Show features several design cues that you can expect to see in the upcoming midsize Mercedes.

Among the design cues that will appear on the E-Class are:

Quad headlamps, this time its trapezodial. Mercedes is maintaining the four-eyes theme but has given it a more masculine tone through the use of strong lines and sharp angles. the same design language made its debut in the highly praised S-Class.

Semi-clamshell bonnet. This wraparound design came into view via the C-Class and willprobably make it into the E-Class. It helps to give the car a more youthful appearance. the strong panel lines also help to give the car a more elognated look and disguise any unnecessary vertical bulk.

Angular grille The angular grille shape will probably make the transition to the production E-Class untouched. The highly stylised shape allows Mercedes benz to maintain their prominent chrome grille without scaring younger buyers. Not that it really matters since this is an E-Class and buyers tend to be middle-aged anyway but it is always good to look younger than you are.

Clean window trim While the pillarless doors are probably going to take a miss, the clean chrome trimmed window treatment will likely make an appearance as Mercedes has rekindled their love affair with high quality brightwork.

This look will likely be more faithfully recreated in the upcoming CLK and who knows they may even offer it as the shooting brake shown here.