2010 Mercedes CLS

Get a load of this! Mercedes is pulling the wraps off this stunning new Shooting Break at the Beijing Motor Show this week. The dramatic-looking machine follows in the footsteps of the two-door Concept Fascination and bold F800 – signalling a new dawn for the firm’s design.

From the B-pillar forwards, the Shooting Break reveals Mercedes’ next CLS – due to make its debut at this October’s Paris Motor Show. The ornate LED headlights, which contain 71 individual diodes, will be toned down for production. But the elegantly sculpted bumper and striking creases, which run down each flank, are all likely to be included on the final car. Also making the cut is the stylish ‘soft nose’, which not only looks great, but also conforms to the latest pedestrian impact crash test regulations.

From the B-pillar back, the show car reveals an altogether different insight into Mercedes’ plan for the CLS – with the model line-up’s first estate. The concept is the work of the brand’s president of design, Gorden Wagener. Since moving from his post as head of Mercedes Advanced Design in America in 2008, the German has made his presence felt. The new SLS AMG and E-Class set the tone for his work, which is focused on creating streamlined and aerodynamic cars.

The Shooting Break follows this format, particularly with the tailgate, which has an integrated spoiler to cut drag. However, while the side glass features a smooth coupé-style curve, the roofline is more similar to that of an estate than a car like rival BMW’s 5-Series GT – so rear luggage room is less compromised.

Wagener says that his favourite period in design is Art Deco, and that is evident from the newcomer’s retro interior. In particular, the front and rear air vent grilles, which are overlaid with aluminium, and the ornate Mercedes script on the door sills, make functional parts of the cabin decorative.

Luxury is paramount – the concept is a strict four-seater, with a large panoramic roof helping to bathe the interior with light. Everywhere you look is lavish chocolate brown and cream leather. There are some clever details, too, especiallyin the load space, which incorporates secure storage for items ranging in size from laptops to golf balls.

Mercedes hasn’t shied away from the striking design themes which were so well received in the original CLS. The pronounced curve that runs around the dash top and blends into the front doors is retained. But the car is being taken upmarket, as the quality of the switchgear on the centre console is very similar to that in the latest S-Class – even the analogue clock is carried over.

Under the bonnet, the concept previews Mercedes’ new family of direct-injection V6 engines, which will debut in the facelifted CL in the summer. Called V-generation, the 3.5-litre unit produces 302bhp and 370Nm, and features Mercedes’ fuel-saving BlueEfficiency technology.

The rear end may be more concept than reality, but company bosses are eager to build it. As BMW has done with the 5-Series GT, Mercedes is keen to increase the number of niche models it spins off each platform.

Confusingly, the E-Class Coupé and Cabrio are based on the underpinnings from the latest C-Class. The new CLS saloon will use mechanicals from the E-Class, and the Shooting Break version would extend the reach of the platform – and aim to offer the same experience as the 5 GT.

Mercedes CSC

Could this be the most desirable compact executive car yet? This stunning, four-door, four-wheel-drive coupe will be the star of Mercedes’ stand at the Beijing Motor Show next week – and it’s set to make the likes of the BMW 3 Series look very bland indeed.

The Concept Style Coupe (CSC) is part of a growing family of models based on the new A-Class. In essence, the CSC is a shrunken version of the CLS – a car that took the E-Class as its basis and added a sleeker shape. It carved its own niche, and now Mercedes hopes the CSC will do the same thing.

If the shape looks a little familiar, that’s because there are shades of the F800 Style Concept (revealed at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show) in the sweeping roofline.

Although it’s based on the new A-Class, the CSC is longer, wider and lower than a C-Class. Designers have removed the B-pillar to give the CSC a cleaner profile, with frameless door windows just like on the CLS.

There’s exquisite attention to detail in the front grille, which is just like that of the Vision A concept – the car that previewed the A-Class last year. It’s made up of tiny, shiny 3D dots, which give a diamond effect. A vent at the rear does the same. The headlights shine red when the car is in standby mode, while the indicators light up in succession. Massive 21-inch alloys complete the concept’s visual drama.

Inside, the A-Class influence is strong. The dashboard is very similar, although the SLS AMG-style air vents feature bold neon detailing. They’re backlit and change from blue to yellow to red as the air flowing through them warms up.

There’s a panoramic glass roof that extends far enough back to shed light on the rear seat passengers, who also have access to a sculpted centre console complete with its own air vents. This shows the car’s importance to the Chinese market, where customers 

often have chauffeurs.

Highlight of the dashboard is an integrated iPad, while the CSC also showcases Mercedes’ ‘always on’ cloud technology, which provides Internet access even when the car is stationary. This allows the car’s software to be updated remotely, meaning fewer trips to the dealer.

Under the bonnet, the CSC features a 211bhp 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol engine with direct injection. This powers all four wheels via a seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox, and should give 0-60mph in under seven seconds and a 150mph top speed.

The CSC is the third car to use Mercedes’ new platform – after the B-Class MPV and the A-Class – but it won’t be the last. An A-Class Shooting Brake estate is also planned, as is a small SUV.

New Mercedes SL

Believe it or not, the current generation Mercedes SL has been around since 2002 but revisions and facelifts have kept the grand tourer feeling fresh. As these spy shots reveal though, there’s a new one on the way and it’s set to be more comfortable, more efficient and better handling than ever thanks to a host of hi-tech gadgets. 

Chief among them will be the Magic Ride Control system that’s also set to feature on the new Mercedes S-Class. Cameras scan the road ahead to analyse the surface and set up the suspension accordingly. An Active Curve system is also likely to feature, which uses active anti-roll bars to stop the car leaning in the bends and helps to improve handling. 

Mercedes will stick with the folding hard-top roof but it will now be available with the option of a Magic Sky Control panel which can be turned from transparent to almost opaque at the touch of a button. Alternatively, buyers can opt for a standard sun-roof. 

Visually the new SL gets a look that borrows cues from the new SLK, CLS and SLS AMG. As you can see from these pictures the front end is more upright, the grille is narrower and the headlights are now swept back onto the wings. Meanwhile, at the rear there’s a set of large wraparound tail-lights.

Kicking off the new SL range will be the 3.5-litre V6 that produces 304bhp and will sprint from 0-62mph in just over six seconds. Next up will be a twin-turbocharged 4.7-litre V8 in the SL500 which will produce around 404bhp and accelerate to 62mph in around five seconds. The SL63 AMG model will be powered by a 520bhp 5.5-litre twin-turbocharged V8.

Expect to see official pictures and details of the all-new Mercedes SL by the end of this year.

Mercedes-Benz F125

Mercedes is looking a little further ahead with the F125 – a concept that points to the S-Class of 2025. 

The sweeping roofline has transformed the three-box S-Class into a coupé-like model. However, Mercedes design chief Gorden Wagener is keen to point out that “it’s a further developed sedan shape” – with seating for four and a 470-litre boot. 

At first glance, there aren’t many clues that this is even a Mercedes. But look closely, and the six-bar grille remains at the front, while the sharply defined creases are clearly reminiscent of the current CLS. 

Inside, the design is simple yet luxurious and spacious. The front passenger seat can be folded away into the footwell to allow one of the rear chairs to recline and lie flat. Most of the major controls are activated through gestures; drivers can point a thumb to the left or right for the indicators or swipe a hand to the right to activate the windscreen wipers. 

Lightweight construction, involving carbon fibre-reinforced plastic and aluminium, means the F125 weighs 1,700kg. That’s around 300kg less than the current model.

Access to the front and rear seats is through a pair of long gullwing doors, in contrast to the current model’s conventional four-door set-up.

Power comes from a hydrogen fuel cell, with an electric motor driving each wheel. The gas is stored in a hi-tech porous material that makes up part of the car’s structure. This set-up can store as much as 7.5kg of hydrogen – which is enough for a range of around 620 miles. Fuel economy is estimated at 105mpg, but the car should sprint from 0-62mph in just under five seconds.