DTE news - Mercedes S-Class 2009 - Drive report on the Mercedes E-Class Coupé - Campervans in the USA - Jeep Grand Cherokee 2010
Allow us to introduce: The Mercedes S-Class
Velvet glove and steam hammer
The retouched S-Class is all about the hybrid drive and more economical engine. The fact that the Stuttgart company's flagship model should metamorphose into the "Rainbow Warrior" was not something we expected. This was a niche already covered by the newly revised luxury models from AMG and the mid-range cars in the American and Chinese markets. When the new BMW 7 appeared, the S-Class suddenly seemed quite dated; certainly when it came to things like driver assistance systems and high-tech gimmicks, the Munich-based car maker had ran rings around its Stuttgart rival. But now Mercedes wants to fight back and make the revised S-Class, like the E-Class before it, an "intelligent companion for the driver".
The new cars were showcased at the Shanghai Motor Show. There are a couple of optical retouches, for example on the radiator grille and the headlights (now with bi-xenon technology as standard); the main difference however is the multitude of new electronic aids. These include a full beam assistance system that varies the lighting range without blinding the oncoming traffic, a night vision system with pedestrian recognition and a lane departure warning system that warns the driver by way of vibrations on the steering wheel if he or she crosses a road marking without indicating.
Drive report: Mercedes E 250 CGI Coupé
A Mercedes coupé previously owned by a careful retiree is often the beginning of a lifelong relationship with Mercedes for many youngtimer fans. The new E-Class Coupé brings with it more dynamism and spirit, while remaining cosy.
Plenty of space in spite if its dynamic design
Whether you're talking about the Ponton-Benz, W124 or CL: the large Mercedes coupés were always elegant dream cars that still retained a certain solidity about them. The design of the new coupé is more dramatic and, after its spell in the C-Class, the car can rise once again to the E-Class.
The dynamic curve tension means the coupé appears more powerful and agile than the saloon version. The driver can sit comfortably behind the steering wheel while, for taller occupants, the seat can be adjusted downwards just a little. By moving the seat backwards, the coupé becomes a lounge with enormous legroom for the front passenger. In the rear, there is plenty of space even for adults although the restricted knee and head room might make it somewhat uncomfortable on longer journeys. The boot has a decent capacity of 450 litres.
Perhaps the most extraordinary feature of the Benz coupé is its high level of ride comfort, coupled with its exceptional quietness. This is thanks both to the excellent noise damping system as well as the smooth running of the engines. The suspension is comfortable yet the Benz can still take bends tightly. On slippery surfaces or on gravel however, the rear of the heavy car (which varies from 1.5 to 1.7 tonnes, depending on the engine size) becomes jumpy really fast but is caught early on by the ESP.
Campervans in the USA
A visit to the market leader for luxury mobile homes
The market leader in the luxury mobile home segment is Monaco, whose largest site is located just two miles north of Dean Martin Drive. Campervans can be seen in the car park and in the sales rooms, campervans which resemble big coaches and make the word "camping" sound wholly inadequate.
Most of the company's customers are seniors, silver birds who chase the fine weather, preferably in pairs. The campervans can park in special parks – for $ 75 to 150 per day. These protected refuges of sorts have shops, open-air swimming pools, tennis courts, golf courses and brick barbecue stations, so comfortable that you could easily send a few weeks or even months there without missing your brick-built house. "Some people use the campervans for their holidays, travelling across the United States or Canada", says Eric Island, Chief Sales Executive at Monaco Coach Corporation, "but there are others who actually live in their vehicles".
Luxury and space aplenty
Campervans such as those from the company's Signature Series offer every kind of luxury imaginable. The top model is almost 17 metres long, weighs 15 tonnes and has three rooms. Anyone who enters this gigantic battleship via its electric footsteps once will have to well and truly revise their opinion of camping as there is nothing at all tentative in the "Signature Series Cambridge IV".
Allow us to introduce: The Jeep Grand Cherokee
Following the lead
Chrysler is under a lot of pressure. In order to receive additional taxpayers' money, it has to be able to show the US government that its fortunes are on the up. And so the American company presented the new Jeep Grand Cherokee at the New York Motor Show for the first time.
Chrysler did not actually intend showcasing the new star of its product range to the public until the Detroit Motor Show next year. But, the American government wants to see facts before it gives further billions of dollars in assistance. So, the "bride" was made as pretty as can be in advance of the New York Auto Show. No other car in the company's product line is more important than the Jeep Grand Cherokee.
The new model will appear on the market in 2010. For the first time, it is not entering the market on its own platform; instead it was developed based on the Mercedes models ML and GL. So, for the first time in its eventful history, the Jeep Grand Cherokee will have an air suspension to ensure that its cross-country mobility is able to match that of its competitors. "We listened very closely to the wishes of customers in the individual markets", says Scott Kunselman, Vice-President of Chrysler LLC. "Our new Jeep Grand Cherokee strikes the perfect balance between onroad performance and the legendary Jeep qualities that customers desire from this kind of vehicle."
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