Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz add to model line-up

By ALASTAIR SLOANE

Luxury carmakers Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz are adding to their model range in New Zealand.

Jaguar has landed the first of the S-Type manual models, which uses a Getrag five-speed gearbox and is called the S-Type Sport.

And Mercedes-Benz is about to ship in the first of the new diesel-powered ML-Class wagons, called the ML 270CDi.

The five-speed Jaguar is a delight, the gearbox allowing a whole new driving experience in a vehicle which has traditionally been equipped with a smooth-shifting automatic.

The Sport is available only with the 3.0-litre V6 engine, which produces 179kW at 6800 rpm and 300Nm of pulling power at 4500 rpm.

It gives the S-Type a sharper edge under acceleration and through corners on the throttle and is especially suited to the CATS (Computer Active Technology Suspension)e.

The S-Type can deliberately be thrown about, certainly more so than the automatic where kickdown isn't as precise as the Getrag manual. The manual S-Type costs $111,000 and comes equipped with technology which has made the new Jaguar model a popular luxury package.

The Mercedes-Benz ML 270 CDi was only a matter of time as Germany's luxury makers continue to develop diesel technology using the common rail system.

Mercedes-Benz had looked at putting its more powerful 320CDi motor into the oil-burning ML 270 but the engine bay was too short.

The 270 ML uses a five-cylinder engine producing 120kW and a stump-pulling 400Nm of pulling power at between 1800 and 2600 rpm. Fuel consumption is said to be 9.3 litres/100 km.

Mercdes-Benz says the engine's high pulling power from low revs is due to the use of a variable nozzle turbine turbocharger which utilises air flow pressure.

The new model joins the petrol-powered 3.2-litre V6 and 4.3-litre V8.

Since the appearance of the first 320 V6 ML in 1998, Mercedes-Benz has sold more than 170 models for about a 30 per cent share of the luxury four-wheel-drive segment, which includes Range Rover, Toyota Land Cruiser and Jeep Grand Cherokee.

The six-speed manual 270 ML will cost $79,100 when it goes on sale next month. The five-speed automatic will cost $81,900.

A number of new features will be available across the ML range. Inertia-reel seatbelts are now fitted in the rear and a passive head-protection system, consisting of padded roof and pillar linings, has been added to meet American regulations, where the ML models are built. Side airbags are also available for the rear doors.