Mercedes-Benz signals fresh direction

By ALASTAIR SLOANE, motoring editor

The latest offerings from Mercedes-Benz, the new tin-top SLK sports car and facelifted C-Class model range, signal new beginnings in New Zealand for the parent company DaimlerChrysler.

The vehicles are the first new-look models to be imported under the company's new structure as a wholly owned subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler AG, the German-American parent.

The CablePrice industrial company brought Mercedes-Benz vehicles into the country until early 1990. CablePrice's involvement began to unravel in the late 1980s, when it struggled to keep abreast of Mercedes-Benz technological developments.

Two notable New Zealanders to buy from CablePrice then were merchant bankers Michael Fay and David Richwhite who bought Mercedes-Benz all-wheel-drive station wagons for their wives.

The all-wheel-drive system, still in use, was a new electronic system called 4Matic. But back then a CablePrice technician said he hoped nothing went wrong with 4Matic because no one knew how to fix it.

Car industry magnate Colin Giltrap took over the franchise through the 1990s under the company German Motor Distributors, owned by a family operation, Giltrap Holdings.

After the Daimler-Benz/Chrysler merger in 1998, Giltrap Holdings continued to act as importers until April 1999, when DaimlerChrysler NZ, the new distributor, was formed. But Giltrap's involvement didn't end there. He became chairman of the DaimlerChrysler NZ board with a 49 per cent holding in the company.

Giltrap stepped down as chairman on December 31 last year. DaimlerChrysler NZ paid out his 49 per cent share and in doing so became a wholly owned subsidiary of its German-American parent.

In nearly 14 years, Giltrap had boosted sales of Mercedes-Benz cars in New Zealand from a high of around 70 a year under CablePrice to more than 1100 last year.

Now DaimlerChrysler NZ plans to capitalise on the growth. It says that one benefit of being a factory subsidiary is the help it can expect with fixing the price/equipment ratio.

Evidence of that especially is in the updated C-Class range, launched this week. The C-Class starts with the supercharged C180 sports coupe at $59,900. It's the same price as before but comes with more goodies. Further evidence is the Evolution model of the same two-door. It used to be $79,900. Now it's $69,900 and better equipped.

The star of the C-Class sedan range is the new C55 AMG, which replaces the V6 C32 AMG. The first-time V8 model uses the same naturally aspirated 270kW/510Nm 5.5-litre engine as used in the CLK55 AMG coupe.

AMG sports suspension is fitted as standard, as is a five-speed automatic transmission with steering wheel-mounted gearshift buttons and AMG-Speedshift. A new front end with twin elliptic headlights distinguishes the AMG from the other C-class models. The front has been extended by around 80mm to accommodate the V8 engine.

Other changes to the C-Class range include revised interiors, headlights that see around corners, scratch-resistant paint, suspension upgrades and improved power and performance.

The sedans and wagons are priced from $69,900 for the standard C180 to $168,900 for the C55 AMG. Engines range from the supercharged 1.8-litre four-cylinder to the 2.7-litre turbo-diesel, 3.2-litre V6 and 5.5-litre V8.

The car that says most about Mercedes-Benz' new direction is the two-seater SLK. It ends criticism that the company was losing its way, placing more importance on whizbang technology than build quality. Indeed, Mercedes-Benz has told its engineers to be more selective about new technology.

The SLK cabin is the carmaker's best in recent years and is far superior to that of the outgoing SLK. The interior is a combination of brushed aluminium and black leather and the padded dashboard is the first to show off the company's fine-grain pattern. The seats are firm and sporty.

Deep silver bezels surround the speedometer and tachometer. New buttons on the steering wheel have the soft-touch of keypads. The controls on the centre console are well organised, in logical clusters and easy to find.

It seems Mercedes-Benz has returned to the simplicity of the seat adjustment skeleton on the doors of many of its models, for design inspiration. Engineers paid as much attention to the efficiency of the folding metal roof as its designers did to the interior.

They folded and unfolded the roof more than 20,000 times during the five years of development. They tested it in temperatures ranging from -15C to 50C. They even locked it in a freezer at -30C. The roof still worked. It folds up or down in about 20sec and has been redesigned to deliver more headroom.


The second-generation SLK is priced at $84,500 and $89,500 for the supercharged four-cylinder 200K with the choice of a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearbox, and $132,900 for the 3.5-litre V6 with seven-speed gearbox.

A new model with a 3-litre engine will arrive next year.

The 1.8-litre 200K produces 120kW (163bhp) and 240Nm of torque. The all-new 3.5-litre six-cylinder unit puts out 200kW (272bhp) and 350Nm of torque.

Optional in the SLK is what Mercedes-Benz calls the "air scarf", a ventilation system which ducts warm air through the seats and headrests to the necks of the driver and passenger.

Some buyers will pick it up, for the trip to ski fields.