This will be a busy year for Mercedes-Benz new car launches as the German carmaker is celebrating the 125th anniversary of the automobile. This falls on January 29, the date on which inventor Karl Benz registered the patent for his Benz Patent Motor Wagen.
More news in January concerns the S Class. Following a 14 per cent price cut introduced last June, a further cut of €2,100 sees the S-Class drop overall from €111,585 to its new €96,500 level in just six months. The S-Class standard specifications have also been considerably upgraded. And the new BlueTEC engine, it qualifies for Band E road tax of €630 a year.
The first all-new arrival of the year will be the stunning CLS. It will be here in March to replace the model first introduced in 2003. Two diesel versions will be marketed here, both with Blue Efficiency technology to maximise fuel economy and reduce emissions. The four-cylinder powered CLS 250 CDI automatic delivers a C02 figure of 138g.
The second is the V6 CLS 350 CDI automatic, selling at 23 per cent lower than the previous 320 CDI. It has a C02 figure of 159g.
And Mercedes-Benz has just revealed the prices of its new CLS coupe. The entry level will be a four-cylinder CLS 250 CDI automatic which launches at €65,750 ex works. Delivering a C02 figure of 138g, it will have road tax of €156 a year.
Next up is a V6 CLS 350 CDI automatic which will sell at €71,700, a figure some 23 per cent lower than the previous 320 CDI which sold at €84,850. With a C02 figure of 159g, it will have annual road tax of €447.
Restating its belief that Blue Efficiency has brought about a revival in big car sales, Mercedes-Benz also predicts that demand for the new CLS will probably outstrip the numbers available, a factor that the company believes will enhance its appeal.
In this context, Mercedes-Benz is taking an optimistic view of the motor market for 2011 despite the austerity measures that are gripping the Irish economy. Predicting an overall market of 80,000 units, within which it expects to advance its own percentage share, the company sees the implementation of further price driven initiatives in the near future.
These will be supplemented by the arrival of six new model lines providing a springboard for further growth in the year ahead.
