NAIAS 2014 | MERCEDES

Mercedes-Benz continues its product onslaught with the new C Class, the new CLA and the new GLA.  The new designs are unmistakably Mercedes, providing a consistent flow across the entire range.  Bold grill treatments, sculptured bodysides and expressive lamps demand attention and exude presence.  The AMG versions of the CLA and GLA on the stand, however, lacked taste and descended into the “boy racer” realm with overdone graphics and, on the GLA, an oversized tailgate wing.  Now and again they ‘lose the plot’…
There was no loss of focus with the S Class Coupe concept.  This car was the Best in Show for my money.  It is a wonderfully elegant and flowing design with powerful wheels and a fabulous interior.  The nose may be a little too prominent, but again this may be a pedestrian impact effect.
Several of the new Mercedes have an interior feature that strikes me as odd, and that is the free standing or floating display screen for radio, navigation and other connectivity.  To me it looks like I stuck my iPad to the instrument panel with Velcro!

IAA 2013 | Mercedes-Benz GLA Class

The excellent concept introduced in Shanghai is now transformed onto the production car. Let’s say it is not what we were expecting from the press pictures and the concept preview. The concept car presented last April was massive (almost 2m wide and 1.58m height), but the production car looks quite different.It is more like a very low SUV or a raised A-Class, but the design is still very well structured and appealing. Very glamorous too…On the side view, the horizontal kind of V-shape gives a dynamic stance to the body. The front is not aggressive, but serious. If we compare with the A-Class,the wheel arches have been redesigned using a flat surface at the top. This small detail is quite important and gives a better stance to the car. The trunk seems bigger than the A-Class thanks to the redesign of the rear section. The disappointment comes from the interior, where aluminum parts are now made of.…plastic… If you are going to use plastic, just show it…especially if you are Mercedes…