Benz on a binge

THE launch of the new C-class signals the start of a 12-month product avalanche by Mercedes-Benz.

The German car-maker will kick off the new year by introducing the outrageously quick ML 55 off-roader in January.

Powered by the same 5.5-litre V8 engine used in the E55 and CLK55, the barnstorming four-wheel drive is capable of accelerating from standstill to 100km/h in around seven seconds.

It is likely to be priced about $120,000.

Mercedes-Benz Australia passenger car product manager Mr Andrew Harlock says the company aims to sell 180 examples of the ML 55 in 2001.

The C-class line-up will be boosted in March by the introduction of the turbo-diesel C220 CDI in March, priced around $65,000.

A new performance flagship - the SLK 32 AMG - is due in mid-2001 and will be followed in August by the C32 AMG sedan.

Both cars are powered by a new supercharged 3.2-litre V6 that cranks out 264kW, enough to shade the imminent new BMW M3's output of 252kW.

Mr Harlock suggests the C32 will be priced in line with the outgoing $152,090 C43 AMG sedan.

At the lower end of the scale, the C-class line-up will be bolstered by the Sports Coupe, also due in August.

The sporty coupe will be available with normally aspirated and supercharged 2.0-litre engines and wear C180 and C200 Kompressor badges respectively.

Mr Harlock says each C-class Sports Coupe model will be priced slightly above its sedan equivalent.

The August arrivals include a long-wheelbase version of the A-class said to offer greatly improved rear seat legroom.

The stretched A-class is about 17cm longer than the standard model, with the extra length added to the rear doors.

Mr Harlock says the long-wheelbase A-class may be offered with 1.6 and 1.9-litre engines initially, commanding a premium of between $2000 and $2500 over its shorter sibling.

The 2001 model introductions will be capped off by a facelifted M-class, due in December.

Visual changes will include clear-lens headlights, reprofiled bumpers, a new tailgate and possibly revised tail-light clusters. The off-roader will also score a number of under-skin improvements.

The all-new replacement for the E-class - dubbed W211 - is not due until mid-2002.

Like the current E-class, the new model will sport twin round headlights rather than the kidney-shaped items introduced in the new C-class.

Mr Harlock says Mercedes-Benz is on track to record just over 10,000 passenger car sales (including M-class) this year. "We aim to boost this figure to 11,000 units in 2001," he says.

"It (2001) will be a challenging year but if the economy remains strong we will achieve our target." Mr Harlock says exchange rates do not as yet pose a major problem for Mercedes-Benz as the decline of the Australian dollar has to some extent been matched by depreciation of its European counterpart.

Benz youth drive GIVEN that Mercedes-Benz aims to capture a greater percentage of younger buyers, it is perhaps appropriate that its new management team has a more youthful look about it.

The local operation will soon be headed by Mr Roman Fischer, 45, who is gearing up to take over the role of president and CEO from Mr Bernt Schlickum.

Mr Schlickum, 61, retires at the end of the year after two decades at the helm of Mercedes-Benz's Australian arm.

Mr Matthias Luhrs, 38, has taken over Mr Fischer's former post of managing director of Mercedes-Benz passenger cars.

The shoes of Benz stalwart Mr Dietmar Haug have been filled by two people - senior marketing executive Mr Horst von Sanden, 41, and senior product management executive Mr Andrew Harlock, 39.

Rounding off the new-look management team is Mr Toni Andreevski, 27, who took over from Mr Jeff Fisher as public relations manager in September.