KEY POINTS:
A couple of events momentarily moved the spotlight away from the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan - a report that Benz parent DaimlerChrysler would spin off the Chrysler Group, and the appearance in Australia of a Cabriolet believed to be the only one of its type.
Speculation of a
split in the car giant's ranks drew denials from DaimlerChrysler spokesmen in the US and Germany. It was fuelled by sideline conversations at the C-Class launch in Stuttgart and confirmation of a meeting of the DaimlerChrysler supervisory board, which is to hear plans for turning around the fortunes of the ailing Chrysler Group.
The rumours also reflect the sentiment of a group of German shareholders, including some institutional shareholders, who have been vocal opponents of the 1998 merger that created the German-American carmaker.
Roughly 80 per cent of DaimlerChrysler's outstanding common stock is owned by German citizens and institutions. Dissident German shareholders were instrumental in forcing Juergen Schrempp, then DaimlerChrysler chairman, to back out of a deal with Mitsubishi three years ago.
But Dieter Zetsche, DaimlerChrysler's chief executive officer, has repeatedly said there are no plans to spin off the Chrysler Group.
Mercedes-Benz executives are meantime eyeing the upcoming auction during Melbourne Grand Prix week in March of a left-hand-drive W124 A320 cabriolet, believed to be the only example built. It is expected to fetch around $750,000.
The 5.5m car with its 3.4-litre, six-cylinder engine and full coil spring independent suspension, was built by Daimler-Benz around 1948 as a design study. But it became outdated almost instantly.
The cabriolet's 59kW side-valve engine and a number of other mechanical components came from the last of the W142 long-wheelbase Mercedes-Benz cars made from 1937 until Allied bomb damage to the factory in World War II halted production in 1942.
The evolution of the more modern single overhead camshaft engine and other technical developments that appeared in the A300 (Adenauer) saloon of 1950 rendered the cabriolet design study redundant and the vehicle was sold to a Dutch businessman and shipped to Indonesia.
It remained in Indonesia for almost 40 years before being found by an Australian enthusiast and brought to Melbourne in the late 1980s for restoration.
It was in poor condition, badly painted in Post Office red and in non-running order. But an inspection by Mercedes-Benz Museum head Max-Gerritt von Pein confirmed its unique status. He was amazed that not only had the vehicle survived but that it was in basically its original condition.
The Cabriolet has now been refurbished as close to its original specification as possible. Auction house Shannons expects worldwide interest.
The new C-Class sedan unveiled this week employs more of a wedge design look and is larger in nearly every dimension than the outgoing model. It is expected to go on sale in New Zealand around August-September.
At 4581mm, the sedan is 55mm longer than its predecessor. Body width has increased by 42mm to 1770mm, and the wheelbase by 45mm to 2760mm. These dimensions create more room - front shoulder room has increased by 40mm.
Eight models are available in Europe, from the supercharged entry-level, four-cylinder 1.8-litre to the top-line 3.2-litre V6. Also included are three turbo-diesels.
The petrol and diesel units are said to be up to 13 per cent more powerful and 6 per cent more fuel efficient. Torque has been boosted by up to 18 per cent.
Under the revamped skin - which features different grille treatments - an "Agility Control" system controls the damping of shock absorbers automatically.
The range gets adaptive braking, which holds brakes when starting on a hill, and briefly clamps them in wet conditions for efficiency.
Seven airbags are standard, including dual front, side, and curtain airbags.
A new central display takes over control of the secondary systems with a console-mounted controller. The display is touch-sensitive too.
As usual, there are three model lines - Avantgarde, Elegance and Classic - but for the first time the radiator grille is used as a distinguishing feature to position the model variants more clearly.
Three extended, horizontal louvres and a centrally positioned Mercedes-Benz star characterise the top-end Avantgarde model, a traditional design feature of sporty Benz models.
The Elegance and Classic get more traditional louvred grilles, with the three-pointed star mounted on the bonnet.
The company says the new C-Class is the first car in its market segment to have an "environmental certificate" issued by Germany's TUV, the country's technical inspection authority and consumer watchdog.
The certificate confirms the sedan's environmentally focused development, which features advances over the entire vehicle lifecycle in areas such as fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and selection of materials.
The TUV analysed the lifecycle of the new C-Class, from production of the materials and components to a car operating mileage of 200,000km.
It found that compared with the outgoing 2000 model, the total energy requirements of the new C-Class decrease by 125 gigajoules, which corresponds to the energy content of about 3800 litres of petrol.
Emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide are reduced over the lifecycle by nine tonnes per vehicle. Volume of components made of recycled plastics increased by 34 per cent by weight
The C-Class already complies with European Union recycling rules to take effect in 2015, which call for a 95 per cent recycling rate, with a maximum 10 per cent energy recovery.
