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Tag: Mercedes

  • Portable gifts new signee Mercedes-Benz after ‘Alimi’s’ success

    Portable gifts new signee Mercedes-Benz after ‘Alimi’s’ success

    Controversial hip hop artist, Habeeb Okikiola aka Portable, has gifted his new signee, ‘Abuga’ Mazuki-Hamadu a Mercedes Benz car.

    Portable ‘unleashed’ Abuga to the world with the release of their joint track, ‘Alimi’ in honour of late Mohbad.

    In the song titled, “Alimi”, the self-styled ‘Wahala’ musician eulogised the late rapper while hinting at the problems he battled during his lifetime.

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    With the new tune, Portable also lent his voice to many Nigerians and well-wishers globally in demanding justice for Mohbad.

    Following the success of the collaboration, the 29-year-old Zeh Nation boss appreciated his artiste for his input in their smash record.

    Portable shared photos of the elegant silver colour ride while expressing his appreciation and crediting the acquisition to God’s miraculous handiwork.

  • Mercedes A-Class set for Feb debut

    Mercedes A-Class set for Feb debut

    The next Mercedes A-Class will be unveiled on February 2 in Amsterdam, Netherland.

    The announcement was accompanied by a new teaser image.

    Mercedes is looking to shake up the small premium car market when the new A-Class goes on sale later this year with a fresh, bold design that features a hi-tech interior packed with next-generation technology.

    Daimler’s Chief Design Officer Gorden Wagener said the A-Class “has the potential to usher in a new design era” for Mercedes, signalling that much of the new tech is likely to find its way into other Mercedes models in the future.

    Mercedes has released details about the A-Class’ new infotainment system, which is set to feature artificial intelligence (AI) among other hi-tech features.

    The new infotainment system will operate across two large display screens. One of these replaces traditional binnacle dials, while the other is placed right next to it, producing what Mercedes calls a ‘widescreen cockpit’. Three versions of this setup will be available; two seven-inch displays, a combination of seven and 10.25-inch displays, or two 10.25-inch displays. It’s likely that similar combinations will eventually become available across the Mercedes range. Interestingly, these screens don’t feature a traditional cowl.

    Mercedes has done away with its rotary infotainment controller and has made the central screen touch-sensitive instead. There is a touchpad where the rotary dial would have been, however, and this can be used to navigate the system. The A-Class will get this technology first, but you can expect to see it reach other Mercedes cars in the future.

    Voice recognition is also set to take a major role in the interior of the new A-Class. Much like similar systems on mobile phones, the car can be readied to receive commands by saying a set phrase – in this case, ‘Hey Mercedes’. The car’s AI means it’ll learn your habits to further improve the experience.

    The dashboard is modern, sleek and simple, with a focus on quality materials like open-pore wood trim and brushed metal. Its wraparound design is particularly striking, as are its jet-engine-like vents and ambient lighting system.

    Mercedes said the 12 colours selectable in the old car have grown to 64, while the whole system will be more sophisticated in general, making for “an avantgarde lighting display with spectacular colour changes” and using energy-saving LED lights.

    Improved seats will also feature, with three front-seat options, including basic and comfort versions, along with a sportier option with integrated headrests. Most importantly, the A-Class will be bigger inside than before, with more elbow, shoulder and headroom for front and rear occupants. Boot space has increased to 370 litres (29 litres more than the old car), and there’s a 10 per cent improvement in all-round visibility, too.

    The mainstay of 2018 Mercedes A-Class range will continue to be a hatchback, but it’ll be joined by the A-Class saloon, which was previewed with the firm’s Concept A vision earlier this year.

    The new A-Class has adopted a fresh new look for 2018. The changes from the old car are numerous, but new, more angular headlights and a longer body are the most obvious differences. As per today’s car, the A-Class hatchback will be five-door only, reflecting increased global demand for cars with rear doors over sportier three-door models.

     

  • Mercedes cars to become autonomous personal assistants

    Mercedes cars to become autonomous personal assistants

    Daimler’s Chairman, board of directors, Dr Dieter Zetsche, has revealed that Mercedes-Benz wants to create cars that will act as personal assistants and wellbeing monitors.

    Speaking at the weekend in Berlin, Germany at the Internationale FunkausstelIung (IFA) consumer electronics show, Dr Zetsche explained that cars will one day carry out chores and tasks humans do not enjoy in a bid to improve their quality of life and reduce stress.

    He said cars would be able to communicate with one another and pass on information to make journeys more efficient, and that in the very short term, they will be able to use the shared data to do things such as find spaces and park themselves.

    “We’ve already begun testing community-based parking in Stuttgart together with our partners at Bosch,” Zetsche said.

    He added: “It works using car sensors that can find empty spaces along a road and then share the information with the Mercedes back-end database. That information is then shared with other Mercedes cars.”

    The process means all connected Mercedes cars will be able to instantly know where the nearest and most convenient parking space is. In the short term future, this system will allow users to drive their cars to them, but further ahead, autonomous cars will drive off and park themselves.

    Zetsche said cars will then begin to work as their owner’s assistant, carrying out chores like taking the kids to school and picking up other family members while an owner stays at work or home.

    “Everyone is talking about digitalisation and connected cars. But software alone will not be able to take you from A to B. It is the total package that will take you from A to B,” he said.

    Additionally, the Mercedes boss said cars would work to make sure their passengers are as comfortable as possible during transit.

    “It’s our goal that a passenger gets out of a Mercedes in better condition than when they got in. The car will use its sensors to monitor the health and wellbeing of passengers, and then adjust settings to improve your situation and blood pressure,” he explained.

    While he refrained from going into further details, Zetsche cited the Mercedes F015 concept (pictured above) as an example of the idea. The concept was revealed at last year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, United States (US), and showcased Mercedes’s vision for autonomous cars that focus on offering maximum comfort to passengers.

    He said: “We do not know exactly what the car will look like in 10 years from now, but we do know it will be of greater value for all of us. That’s why our cars have begun to become quality time machines, to hand back time to let you do what you want.

    “But that time will always include driving a car for pure pleasure. We will certainly never forget that at Mercedes.”

  • Audi outsells BMW, Mercedes

    Audi outsells BMW, Mercedes

    Audi has consecutively sustained the lead in luxury car sales, edging out BMW AG’s namesake brand and fast growing Mercedes Benz in April and May respectively, the German car maker affirmed.

    Audi reported that the first five months of 2015 increased 11.7 per cent from last year to 73,353 vehicles while in May 2015 sales rose 11.0 per cent to 18, 428 vehicles, total that stands as the second-best month since the brand was launched in the United States market 45 years ago.

    The brand has similarly achieved significant sales growth in Nigeria with more than 400 units sold since the beginning of the year, Anurag Shah, Audi Centre Head of Sales and Marketing said.

    Shah attributed the growing popularity of the brand to ingenuity and some intriguing Audi models that were recently launched.

    Meanwhile the best Audi sale ever in the U.S. market was in December 2014 with 19,238 cars and SUVs.

    One of the key drivers of Audi sales gains in the US was the significant increase in demand for the A3 and S3 models that form the base of the Audi product lineup.

    Audi said May 2015 was best month on record for the A3 and S3 sedan models with 3,035 cars sold, as well as for the A3 Cabriolet with 458 cars sold. Combined, the 3,493 A3 and S3 sales trailed only the 4,280 sales of the popular Audi Q5 and SQ5 crossovers in the Audi results.

    “A year after launching the new A3 models, we are seeing payoff from our bold decision to re-imagine a key component of the Audi lineup and take advantage of a luxury car segment poised to take off,” said Scott Keogh, President, Audi of America.

    He said: “The record sales for the A3 and S3 sedans, along with the A3 Cabriolet, show this was a risk well worth taking. And we aren’t done yet with the all-new A3 Sportback e-tron coming this fall as the first plug-in Audi.”

    Notwithstanding, May represented strong demand for Audi luxury SUVs with a 36.7 per cent increase encompassing the Audi Q3, Q5 and Q7 models. The Q5 posted an 11.6 per cent increase from a year earlier, and the Q7 posted a 25.3 per cent increase from last May. The Audi Q3 wasn’t available in May 2014.

    Audi Certified pre-owned vehicle sales also achieved their second-highest total for any month and the best May ever with a 5.8 per cent gain on 4,405 CPO vehicles sold. Audi CPO sales year-to-date increased 8.3 per cent.

    Audi currently holds the longest running record sales streak in the premium car market according to a competitive sales report from motorintelligence.com

  • Mercedes to launch first pickup by 2020

    Mercedes to launch first pickup by 2020

    Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz unit has planned to launch its first pickup truck by 2020, targeting sales in the European, Latin American, Australian and South African markets.

    However, no decision has been made whether it will be launched  in the United States (US), a Daimler spokeswoman said.

    The pickup will have about one metric ton of payload capacity and will be built by Mercedes’ commercial-van division

    “The Mercedes-Benz pickup will contribute nicely to our global growth targets,” Daimler Chief Executive Officer, Dieter Zetsche said in a statement last week.

    “We will enter this segment with our distinctive brand identity and all of the vehicle attributes that are typical of the brand with regard to safety, comfort, powertrains, and value,” he said.

    Mercedes said more and more pickups are being used for private purposes. It also said commercial and private users are increasingly asking for vehicles that have car-like specifications.

    “A similar example was the successful introduction of the M class around 20 years ago. As the first sport utility vehicle (SUV) from a premium manufacturer, the M class completely redefined the segment,” Zetsche said.

    The automaker’s plan to enter the pickup segment underscores a push by German premium automakers that have built their reputations on refined sedans to enter segments traditionally dominated by mass-market competitors as they compete for volume.

    After SUVs became popular, the addition of a pickup would open a new front in the battle among Germany’s premium brands for the number one spot in luxury car sales.

    Mercedes, the world’s third-largest premium automaker, plans to overtake Audi and market leader BMW, in sales by the end of the decade. The race for the lead has prompted Audi to roll out the A1 sub-compact hatchback and BMW to add the 2-series Active Tourer and 2-series Gran Tourer compact minivans.

    Volkswagen launched a similar pickup strategy to Daimler’s several years ago with the Amarok. Its commercial van business developed and built the midsize pickup in Argentina for Latin America and Europe, while avoiding the U.S. market and its punitive “chicken tax.” The tax imposes a 25 per cent duty on goods such as light trucks imported into the U.S. in retaliation for tariffs on U.S. chickens once imposed by several European nations.

    Pickup trucks have gained popularity in recent months as gasoline prices eased, with sales of such models accounting for 90 per cent of global pretax margins at General Motors and Ford, according to analysts.

    Last year, three of the four top-selling cars in the U S were full-sized pickup trucks, the Ford F-150, the Chevrolet Silverado and Ram 1500. The segment has been moving upmarket with Ford’s F-150 model fetching prices of up to $50,000.

  • Luxury Report: BMW, Mercedes battle for sales crown

    Luxury Report: BMW, Mercedes battle for sales crown

    With only two months left in the year, BMW and Mercedes-Benz are neck-and-neck in the race to the United States luxury sales title, with just more than 5,000 vehicles separating the two, Automotive News reports. In October, both German brands joined Audi and Lexus by celebrating milestones on the U.S. market. According to industry analysts, the race may decided by who offers the right incentives in the final days of the year.

    BMW USA reported its best October in history with 30,602 vehicles sold in the states. That figure represented an 11 per cent gain year-over-year, while the brand’s 2014 total is also performing 12 per cent better than it did the first 10 months of 2013. Ludwig Willisch, the chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BMW North America, saw the market debuts as a factor fueling the brand’s growth.

    “Our new models, especially the 2 and 4 Series, are giving BMW a great boost as we head into the final two months of the year,” Willisch said in a company statement, adding that he was “very pleased to see our born-electric BMW i3 doing so well.” The i3 made its way into the top five of electric vehicle sales in the United States, but it was the 7 series sedans (1,680 units sold) and the hot-selling X5 (3,355 units) that did major damage. Overall, BMW managed to outshine what was an impressive month for Mercedes.

    The Mercedes-Benz press team had plenty to trumpet once the October sales stats emerged. From its AMG performance line to its S-Class land boats, the growth contributed to the best month of 2014 for the luxury brand. It may take only the right blend of incentives and clever marketing to beat BMW before the year is over.

    Pricey AMG vehicles sold 72 per cent better in October than they did the previous year, while S-Class sedans jumped 39 per cent year-over-year with 2,666 units sold in October. M-Class SUVs (up 22 per cent) joined the C-Class (up 13 per cent) in offering the brand an even bigger boost. That performance puts Mercedes within 5,389 vehicles of BMW for 2014 sales, which makes for an interesting duel over the last two months of the year. Mercedes has sold 261,804 vehicles to U.S. consumers on the year.

  • Mercedes Benz C-Class: refined, dynamic

    Mercedes Benz C-Class: refined, dynamic

    The authorised general distributor of Mercedes Benz in Nigeria, Weststar Associates Ltd and its dealerships have delivered a classy and luxurious range of Mercedes Benz vehicles – the new Mercedes Benz C-Class, reports TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO

    The Mercedes Benz C-Class is arguably the highest volume selling model in the world, and this new, fifth-generation model is far more than just another posh compact saloon. It is set to be the most efficient, refined and dynamic model in its class. This global bestseller is well-equipped, and now has a dramatic new look, which includes a classier interior and an impressive exterior, a 100kg weight reduction and a more efficient engine line-up that includes a model with sub-100g/km CO2 emissions for the first time in the fiercely contested compact premium saloon segment.

    The new C-Class, which has an even sleeker look than the previous model, features pulled back LED headlights, prominent styling lines along the body and a sloping roofline. Aerodynamics has played a major part in shaping the sleek exterior design, too. Oversized full LED headlights dominate the aggressive new front end.

    It possesses sports 17-inch alloy wheels, a touchpad-controlled centrally mounted seven-inch colour display, two-zone air conditioning and a media interface.

    There is plenty of standard equipment which includes rain-sensing wipers, Attention Assist, Speed-tronic cruise control, heated windscreen wiper washers, and a tyre-pressure monitoring system. A whole host of technologies derived from the S-Class is also being offered on the C-Class. These include a level of autonomous driving at low speeds and in traffic jams, along with drowsiness detection, steering assistance, and numerous parking assistance systems.

    The Agility Select system is also included, allowing the driver to choose from five driving modes – Comfort, Eco, Sport, Sport+ and Individual.

    The interior represents a huge step forward for the Mercedes C-Class, making it by far the most luxurious yet. The brand has taken its opportunity to introduce the kind of state-of-the-art technology and luxurious finish that established the S-Class as such a dominant class leader.

    The crystal-clear digital TFT screens (one between the dials and a tablet-style display on the centre console) feature pin-sharp colour graphics, and the clickable touchpad control is the kind of new technology that will soon be the industry standard.

    All models come with a seven-inch colour screen that is controlled using a rotary dial and touchpad positioned between the front seats. Drivers can scroll through the on-screen menus using just the touchpad, swiping left and right to cycle through functions, and pinching to zoom in on maps

    In the back, the slightly longer wheelbase of the new C-Class means legroom is generous. Also the swept back windows and light fabric increase the sense of space, while the smart switches and vents are carried over to the rear seats. The boot is also bigger than before, matching the BMW 3 Series with a capacity of 480 litres.

    The key to the new chassis is its light weight, and this theme continues throughout the car – 50 per cent of the body is now made from aluminium, so even though the new C-Class is 95mm longer and 40mm wider than before, it is up to 100kg lighter.

    The new C-Class has an impressive arsenal of technology, one of which is a new touchpad – which is available in all models of the new C-Class. It is also the first compact executive car available with a sophisticated air suspension that was borrowed from the S-Class, and will offer three types of springs. All cars have steel Comfort springs as standard.

    The new C-Class sits on the new modular rear-drive chassis architecture (MRA) that will underpin every large Mercedes for the next five years. This has the capacity for hybrid and electric power, four-wheel drive and a wide range of different vehicle shapes and sizes all built into its structural DNA. The chassis has also been tuned to offer a sportier and more agile drive without compromising ride comfort.

    The C200, which is currently available at Weststar and any of its dealerships, has 181bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. However, more engine types will be available in Nigeria by the middle of next year. The gearboxes available with this engine are a six-speed manual or the optional seven-speed automatic transmission. The auto gearbox increases CO2 emissions from 103g/km to 109g/km.

    Although the new C-200 comes with a high level of equipment as standard, there are a host of optional packs available. One of such is the optional Airmatic air springs. It gives a choice of five driving modes, plus a self-levelling feature – which is another first from the Class

    To feel instantly sportier from behind the wheel, the seats can be lowered 20mm further than before, and have been reshaped for better lateral support. Plus, a new electronic

    Power-steering system aims to improve high-speed stability and increase driver feedback. Due to a stiffer body-shell, there will be no complaints about noise or vibration in this new version of the C-Class.

    All engines in the C-class range are Euro 3 emissions compliant and come standard with the ECO Stop-start function.

  • Omawumi acquires 2012 ML 350 Mercedes

    Omawumi acquires 2012 ML 350 Mercedes

    OMAWUMI, one of the top female singers in Nigeria, has acquired a new car, 2012 ML 350 Mercedes.

    The posh car is said to cost about N12.5million.

    The talented singer studied Law at the Ambrose Alli University, Edo State.

    Upon graduation in 2005, she moved to Port Harcourt, where she worked in her brothers’ law firm, O.S Megbele and Associates while also studying French at Alliance Franciase.

    In 2007, she auditioned for Idols West Africa and, on January 26, 2007 with her strong voice and dazzling personality, she won the hearts of millions of viewers across the continent to emerge the 1st runner- up at the competition.

    A year later, she released her long-awaited debut single, In The Music, which became an instant hit, dominating numerous charts across the country.