Mercedes-Benz at the 2010 Geneva International Motor Show

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Mercedes-Benz at the 2010 Geneva International Motor Show - New models, new technologies: Mercedes-Benz takes efficiency and driving enjoyment to a whole new level

Mercedes-Benz is presenting the F 800 Style research vehicle at the Geneva Motor Show. This one-off five-seater executive saloon combines efficient drive technologies with unparalleled safety and convenience features as well as an emotive design idiom. Its all-new, flexible multi-drive platform - either for electric drive with fuel cells or for a plug-in hybrid - is a world-first for large saloons. Both variants make locally emission-free mobility possible for a premium car, while at the same time providing a dynamic driving experience. Another new development is the Mercedes‑Benz E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID, which combines a diesel powerplant and an electric motor to produce Western Europe's first diesel hybrid. Its 15 kW electric motor, suitable for driving using electric power alone, assists the 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel engine developing 150 kW (204 hp) when the car accelerates (boost effect). With the diesel hybrid, Mercedes-Benz is ushering in a new era of hybrid drives. The E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID consumes 4.1 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres (CO2 109 g/km). It will be launched at the end of 2011. As of the coming model year, the new G 350 BlueTEC will offer state-of-the-art diesel technology with low emissions. The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG – the most powerful Official F1™ Safety Car of all time – will be a familiar sight at racetracks during the 2010 Formula-1 season. In addition to all of this, Mercedes-Benz is unveiling a portfolio of elegantly sporty individualisation products under its MercedesSport label at the Geneva Motor Show.


The Mercedes-Benz F 800 Style research vehicle on display at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show highlights the future of premium cars from a new perspective, as the one-off five-seater executive saloon combines efficient drive technologies with unparalleled safety and convenience features as well as an emotive design idiom. With an exterior length of 4.75 metres, the F 800 Style offers a generously-sized interior incorporating intelligent seating, control and display concepts. The all-new, flexible multi-drive platform, which is suitable either for electric drive with fuel cells or for a plug-in hybrid, is a world-first for large saloons. Both variants of the F 800 Style make locally emission-free mobility possible for a premium car, while at the same time being ideally suited to everyday driving and providing a dynamic driving experience.

"We are dedicated to reconciling our responsibility for the environment with practical customer benefit in an exciting car," says Dr Thomas Weber, the Daimler Board of Management member responsible for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development. "The new F 800 Style research vehicle combines this commitment to providing the leading innovative drive concepts with our traditional Mercedes strengths in the areas of design, safety, comfort and outstanding performance."

F 800 Style with plug-in hybrid: outstanding performance and CO2 emissions of 68 grams per kilometre

The drive unit in the powerful plug-in hybrid consists of a V6 petrol engine developing around 200 kW (272 hp) with next-generation direct injection, a hybrid module developing around 80 kW (109 hp) and a lithium-ion battery. Thanks to its powerful and high-torque hybrid module, in the city the F 800 Style can run exclusively on electricity and therefore without generating any local emissions. The F 800 Style with plug-in hybrid can run purely on electricity for up to 30 kilometres.

The vehicle has a certified fuel consumption of 2.9 litres of petrol per 100 kilometres, equivalent to CO2 emissions of 68 grams per kilometre. Thanks to its efficiency, the F 800 Style with plug-in hybrid delivers performance comparable to a sports car (0-100 km/h in 4.8 s, top speed of 250 km/h). When driven in electric mode, the F 800 Style has a top speed of 120 km/h, meaning that it can meet practically every requirement associated with long-distance driving.

The F 800 Style research vehicle marks a further step in the development of a market-ready plug-in hybrid. Mercedes-Benz will begin series production of this technology when the next-generation S-Class is introduced.

Flexible, safe and ideal for everyday use: F 800 Style with electric drive based on fuel-cell technology

The F 800 Style with electric drive based on fuel-cell technology also offers high levels of driving pleasure and handling dynamics. The vehicle's electric motor develops around 100 kW (136 hp) and has an impressive torque of around 290 Nm. The fuel cell generates the traction current by chemically reacting hydrogen with oxygen on board the vehicle, producing water vapour as the only emission in the process.
The components of the fuel-cell drive are taken from the E-Drive modular system, which Mercedes-Benz has developed for a variety of different electric vehicles. The new Mercedes-Benz research vehicle has the fuel cell located in the front, while the compact electric motor is installed near the rear axle. The lithium-ion battery is positioned behind the rear seats, where it enjoys the maximum possible protection against the effects of accidents, as do the four hydrogen tanks. Two of the tanks are located in the transmission tunnel between the passengers, while the other two are underneath the rear seat. They are designed to withstand any conceivable loads that could occur.

Numerous innovations

In addition to a multi-drive platform that is unparalleled for large saloons and a combination of different alternative drive technologies, the F 800 Style features
an array of further innovations, the rear doors being one particularly customer-friendly example: whereas the front doors are attached to the A-pillars in a conventional manner and open wide towards the front, the rear doors slide backwards when opened, as they are suspended from an interior swivel arm. Because the doors slide back close to the vehicle body, occupants find it much easier to get into and out of the car in tight parking spaces.

One of the new features is the control and display concept with a cam touchpad. Its HMI unit consists of a touchpad and a camera that records video images of the user's hand as it works the pad. The live image of the hand is presented in transparent form on the central display above the centre console. The user sees the contours of his or her fingers glide across the image without covering anything. The cam touchpad recognises finger movements on the pad surface such as wiping, pushing, turning, and zooming, thus enabling intuitive control of the climate control system, telephone, audio and navigation systems, and internet access. The unit enhances active safety, since it is easy and convenient to use and therefore does not distract the motorist as much from the actual task of driving.

With the new DISTRONIC PLUS Traffic Jam Assist function in the F 800 Style, Mercedes-Benz has become the world's first car manufacturer to implement a system that is capable of following the vehicle in front of it into bends without the driver having to steer. The innovative protection system known as PRE-SAFE 360° improves passive safety, as its sensors now also monitor the area behind the vehicle. As a result, the system applies the brakes milliseconds before an anticipated rear-end collision occurs. Following a head-to-tail collision, this system therefore helps to prevent secondary accidents, such as those that occur when the car is catapulted uncontrollably towards a junction or a pedestrian crossing.

Reinterpretation of the classic Mercedes-Benz design idiom

The F 800 Style is both a technology platform and a showcar. This research vehicle was created through collaboration between technical research and advanced engineering departments and the advanced design studios in Sindelfingen, Germany and Como, Italy. Its exterior appearance is marked by a long wheelbase, short body overhangs and a sensually flowing roof line.

The vehicle's front end features a variation of the radiator grille with the centrally positioned brand star that is a hallmark of sporty Mercedes models. The curved louvres, the wide radiator grille, the generously curved air intake openings and the unique, powerful LED headlamps emphasise the dynamic nature of the research vehicle. The tail lights on the F 800 Style also feature LED technology.

Fine wood surfaces and plenty of light ensure a high level of comfort in the interior of the F 800 Style. Occupants will immediately notice the modern sense of lightness: functional elements such as the cockpit and the door armrests seem to float in space like sculptures. The innovative, lightweight-construction seats in the F 800 Style consist of a magnesium shell and a carbon-fibre laminate backrest across which resistant netting is stretched. The seat shell also features wood veneer.

The new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet

The new Cabriolet is an exceptionally attractive and emotive addition to the successful Mercedes-Benz E-Class family. The classic fabric soft top lends the open-top two-door model a stylistically pure cabriolet feeling. In keeping with the motto "four seasons, four passengers", all-year-round suitability was right at the top of the developers' list of priorities. While many cabriolets tend to disappear from the roads of Western Europe in the autumn, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet continues to provide driving pleasure and comfort at this time of year.

New features include:
- The AIRCAP® automatic draught-stop: always on board and easily controllable at the push of a button, it reduces turbulence substantially for all four seat occupants
- The modified AIRSCARF® neck-level heating system
- The acoustic soft top fitted as standard

The soft top can be opened and closed fully automatically within 20 seconds – even when driving at speeds of up to 40 km/h. The cabriolet roof retracts into a special compartment behind the rear panel. Further standard equipment for the new Cabriolet includes a mechanical entry and exit aid for the rear passengers.
The new E-Class Cabriolet likewise plays a pioneering role when it comes to
drive systems: new diesel and petrol models with power outputs ranging from 125 kW (170 hp) to 285 kW (388 hp) combine effortlessly superior power delivery with exemplary, low fuel consumption.

The AIRCAP® automatic draught-stop is a world-first. It can be activated at the push of a button so as to greatly reduce turbulence in the interior of the new Mercedes E-Class Cabriolet, creating a "sea of warm air". Passenger comfort is increased, while the noise level is reduced. What's more, there is no tricky installation, the two individual rear seats are easily accessible and the Cabriolet's flowing side lines remain uninterrupted. AIRCAP® (which can be activated at speeds of up to 160 km/h and remain in use right up to the car's top speed) is therefore a classic Mercedes innovation: functional, comfort-enhancing, elegant and safe.

Thanks to its acoustic soft top fitted as standard, when closed the E-Class Cabriolet has one of the quietest interiors in the segment for four-seater premium cabriolets with a fabric roof. The soft top's exceptionally high-quality insulation brings about a clearly noticeable reduction in the interior noise level compared to conventional fabric soft tops.

The new Cabriolet offers the wealth of safety innovations one would expect from
a Mercedes model. Highlights of the open-top two-door model include roll-over protection, the A-pillars reinforced by two additional tubes and the plug-in B‑pillars. This new model is also the first Mercedes cabriolet to feature headbags.
Further exemplary safety equipment available for the E-Class Cabriolet includes ATTENTION ASSIST drowsiness detection, PRE-SAFE® anticipatory occupant protection, the sophisticated Intelligent Light System, the Active Bonnet and DISTRONIC PLUS proximity control.

E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID

With the E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID being presented at the Geneva Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz is offering a look ahead to Western Europe's first diesel hybrid. It combines a 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel engine developing 150 kW (204 hp) with a powerful hybrid module. Its 15 kW electric motor, positioned between the internal combustion engine and the 7-speed automatic transmission, assists the diesel engine when the car is accelerating (boost effect) and, in alternator mode, is used for the recuperation of braking energy, although it is also suitable for driving using electric power alone. Based on the innovative, modular hybrid system developed by Mercedes-Benz, the diesel hybrid opens up a new era of hybrid drives. The E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID consumes 4.1 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres (CO2 109 g/km). It will be launched at the end of 2011.

G 350 BlueTEC

Mercedes-Benz is also presenting the latest version of the G-Class in Geneva. As of the coming model year, it will offer state-of-the-art diesel technology, thus consistently following the course it has been taking since 1979: on the one hand it maintains its off-roader attributes, while on the other it keeps pace with sophisticated automotive technology thanks to its constant evolution. The V6 diesel engine in the new G 350 BlueTEC has an output of 155 kW (210 hp) at 3400 rpm and a torque of 540 Nm. This model produces substantially fewer emissions than the previous G 350 CDI model – undercutting the limits of the EU5 standard and, in particular, reducing NOx emissions by around 50 % – yet still delivers comparable performance.

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG: Official F1™ Safety Car

When the new Formula-1 season gets underway in Manama/Bahrain (12 to 14 March 2010), it will mark the debut of the most spectacular and powerful Official F1™ Safety Car of all time. The job of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, which will be launched on 27 March 2010, is to ensure maximum safety in Formula 1. The "gullwing" model replaces the SL 63 AMG, which was used as the Official F1™ Safety Car in 2008 and 2009. As in the last two years, the C 63 AMG Estate will be used as the Official F1™ Medical Car for the new season.

MercedesSport offers elegance and sportiness

Mercedes-Benz is unveiling a portfolio of elegantly sporty individualisation products under the new MercedesSport label at the Geneva Motor Show. MercedesSport products include special light-alloy wheels and sports suspension as well as detachable body parts to enhance a car's aerodynamics or looks. These retrofittable solutions emphasise the sportiness of the car and add individual, elegant touches. All MercedesSport products have been developed by Mercedes‑Benz Accessories GmbH in collaboration with the same designers and engineers who are responsible for the standard-production models, thus ensuring that the high standards of the sophisticated design idiom and Mercedes-Benz quality criteria (which go way beyond the usual standards) are met. The result: each product appears to have been cast from a single mould. What's more, the products represent excellent value for money on account of their intelligent design based on the "add-on principle". MercedesSport will initially be available for the E-Class.

Other important topics of the press kit:

- Mercedes-Benz F 800 Style

- The new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet

- E 300 BLUETEC HYBRID

- G 350 BlueTEC with state-of-the-art emission-control technology

- The most powerful Official F1™ Safety Car of all time: The new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG takes its place at the head of the Formula-1 field

- MercedesSport offers elegance and sportiness

Copyright © 2010, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.