The new Mercedes-Benz B-Class has been voted "Winter Car of 2012" by Finland's leading car magazine, "Tekniikan Maailma". The compact sports tourer emerged victorious against 15 competitors after being subjected to a comprehensive comparative test in winter conditions. Covering a distance of 1000 kilometres, the test comprised a series of assessments of driving dynamics, braking and fuel consumption, as well as a number of criteria which are particularly relevant in winter, such as heating performance and "light and sight" features. Velimatti Honkanen, Editor-in-Chief of "Tekniikan Maailma", presented the award yesterday at the Geneva Motor Show to Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars. The Finnish car magazine has been conducting its punishing winter test since 1980.
The B-Class secured its leading position in particular thanks to its safe and precise handling, high levels of comfort and excellent headlamps. Featuring a new four-cylinder petrol engine with direct injection and turbocharger, a new diesel engine, a new dual clutch transmission and a new manual transmission along with new assistance systems, technologically the second generation of the B-Class has ushered in a new compact car era at Mercedes-Benz. High-grade materials and finely structured surfaces, fine details, precision workmanship plus safety equipment unique to the segment all help to raise the benchmark in the compact car segment.
Credits: Daimler AG
Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
For the eighth time in succession, the Mercedes-Benz Unimog has been chosen as the best cross-country vehicle of the year by the readers of the trade magazine "Off-Road" in the category "special vehicles". The award "Off-road Vehicle of the Year 2012 – special vehicles category" was based on the votes given to the cross-country vehicles in the eight categories of the competition run by the old-established Munich magazine for off-road vehicles. The off-road obelisk was presented in a ceremonial atmosphere at a gala evening in Munich's theatre tent "Das Schloss". More than 57,000 votes were handed in by 16 January and there were 143 vehicles from 40 manufacturers to choose from. In the category for special vehicles, the Unimog took first place with an outstanding 34,3 % of the readers' votes.
The following categories were available: "off-road vehicles", "luxury off-road vehicles", "sports utility vehicles (SUV)", "luxury SUV", "classics", "pick-ups", "special vehicles" and "crossover vehicles". Among the special vehicles entered – i.e. off-road vehicles designed to transport goods and loads to remote areas, or also to be used as the basis for special bodies for fire-fighting, expedition and military vehicles – the Unimog was clearly more than one step ahead. Particular praise was given to its characteristic product features such as its outstanding off-road mobility due to portal axles and extreme torsional flexibility combined with its extreme toughness and stability.
Where the Unimog gets through, others don't even arrive
The outstandingly mobile off-road Unimog product range U 4000/U 5000 has been produced in Wörth since 2002 as a special vehicle for complicated jobs in remote areas only accessible over difficult terrain with no roads or tracks. It is mainly used by fire services – in particular for fighting forest fires – as well as for disaster control, expeditions and servicing and maintenance work in hard to reach areas – with the slogan "Where the Unimog gets through, others don't even arrive".
As a result, Unimog models U 4000 and U 5000 are the ideal supplement to vehicles in product ranges U 300 to U 500 which are off-road implement carriers mainly found working for public services, municipal contractors, the construction and energy industries as well as for in-plant transport and road-rail operations. The youngest member of the Unimog family is the compact Unimog U 20 which was launched in 2008.
"Off-Road" magazine has been giving its readers the opportunity to vote for their off-road vehicle of the year since 1982.
60 Years of Mercedes-Benz Unimog – the success of an idea
Sixty-one years ago, on 3 June 1951 to be exact, the first Mercedes-Benz Unimog rolled off the line in Gaggenau. A unique vehicle concept had been created with great off-road mobility due to its four-wheel drive and fast driving features for road use.
Credits: Daimler AG
Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
The designers at Mercedes-Benz have picked up yet another prize for no fewer than four models in the form of the internationally renowned "iF product design award 2012". A top-class specialist jury has bestowed the award on the Mercedes-Benz M-Class, the SLK, the SLS AMG Roadster, and the Concept A-CLASS show car, as well as the smart electric mobility concept, all for their outstanding designs.
First presented in 1953, the "iF product design award" ranks among the world's most important design awards and represents the seal of approval for good design. For 2012 the 24-member jury was again faced with the task of choosing its favourites, this time from more than 2000 candidates. Four models from Mercedes-Benz stood out in particular: the M-Class, the SLK, the SLS AMG Roadster and the Concept A-CLASS show car.
The M-Class won thanks to its characteristically distinctive SUV design and its variable interior with high wellness factor. The open-top SLS AMG Roadster, meanwhile, owes its victory to its exciting lines, which are reminiscent of the legendary 300 SL from the 1950s. The SLK Roadster also dominated the competition with its powerful sports car design, which portrays its outstanding qualities to brilliant visual effect - stylish comfort, light-footed sportiness and exemplary ecology.
With the Mercedes-Benz Concept A-CLASS, the jury acknowledged the birth of a new vehicle generation which provides a glimpse of the expressive design of the future A-Class.
As an overall concept, the trend-setting developments achieved by the automotive brand smart in the field of electric mobility also received the coveted "iF product design award 2012". For its innovative e-mobility concept, smart created one-off vehicles such as the open-top smart forspeed, the smart e-scooter and also the smart e-bike, which is to be incorporated into the smart product line this year.
Credits: Daimler AG
Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
The new Mercedes Benz Actros has taken the “European Transport Sustainability Prize 2012” award in the “Trucks from 7.5 tonnes” category. This is the first year the prize sponsored by the Huss-Verlag publishing house has been awarded. The jury statement highlighted the vehicle’s low fuel consumption, which was achieved in spite of the technology measures required to meet the Euro VI standard.
New Actros fulfils the Euro VI standard
This makes Mercedes-Benz the first supplier to develop a truck that meets the future Euro VI exhaust emissions standard. This achievement includes an 80-percent reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions.
Mercedes-Benz truck sets fuel economy record
The development objective for the new Actros was to reduce fuel consumption in spite of the Euro VI technology requirements. The current Actros 1844 LS was already the record-holder as the world’s most economical series-produced truck in this context. When the two models went head-to-head in a “record run” in summer 2011, the new Actros 1845 BlueTec 6 with Euro VI technology recorded fuel consumption of 25.9 litres / 100 km, 4.5 percent better than the existing record-holder. The new Actros BlueTec 5 with Euro V technology posted an amazing 25.1 litres / 100 km, 7.6 percent below the existing record. The FleetBoard telematics system fitted as standard equipment makes economic driving even easier.
Additional safety features and enhanced driving comfort
As well as offering better fuel economy and Euro VI compliance, the new model also features a stronger focus on safety. Integrated tyre pressure monitoring for the entire vehicle train reduces the risk of blow-outs, and optimum braking performance is ensured with a new water retarder. A Proximity Control assist with stop-and-go function and mirror with manoeuvring function enhance both safety and driver comfort.
These progressive features and compliance with the future Euro VI exhaust emissions standard have made the new Actros a worthy winner of the European sustainability prize sponsored by the Munich-based Huss-Verlag publishing house. Huss-Verlag has established this prize, awarded in 11 categories, on the occasion of its 20th anniversary. The firm is mainly a publisher of trade magazines in the transport and logistics sector.
The prize for the Mercedes-Benz Actros was handed to Daimler Trucks Worldwide Product Engineering Manager Georg Weiberg by Bernhard Kerscher, Managing Director of TÜV Süd Auto Service, at the German Museum in Munich.
In the words of Georg Weiberg: “We in Daimler Trucks are absolutely delighted with our victory, and we are deeply grateful to Huss-Verlag for this award. We see the prize as further confirmation that with the Actros we are already able to offer the customer a truck for the future, equipped with Euro VI technology. Our aim is to establish the new Actros in the marketplace as a worldwide best-seller on the basis of its fuel economy and safety performance.”
Source: Daimler AG
Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
