martes, 13 de octubre de 2009

SEVILLE, Spain - Mercedes-Benz is another in a long line of automakers looking to stay relevant in a rapidly changing marketplace loaded with confusion. Sure, the company has been making decent bucks since ditching Chrysler - especially in 'emerging markets' like Russia, China and India.

     However, Mercedes-Benz is aiming to keep up with the Joneses in this energy revolution and recently pulled back the curtain on its "Road to the Future" at an event in Seville.

     The company is taking a multi-faceted approach to conversion - or as one colleague generously called it, "throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks."

     The three-part plan is similar to one we've heard before:

Optimization of vehicles with the very latest combustion engines - such as downsizing, gasoline direct injection, turbocharging and BlueTEC - as well specific vehicle optimization initiatives in areas such as aerodynamics, lightweight design and energy management (BlueEFFICIENCY).
Further efficiency improvements via individually tailored hybridization in a number of stages - from the start/stop function through to the Two-Mode hybrid with full electric drive capability.
Zero-emissions driving with fuel cells and battery-powered vehicles.

     On hand were a number of engineers, designers and product planners ready to answer any questions, while the stars of the show - two of MBs' recent concept vehicles, the F 600 HYGENIUS and the F 700 - hauled interested journos around a local racetrack.

     The F 600, launched at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2005, is a fairly 'traditional' hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, albeit one wrapped in some pretty funky swan-wing-door threads. The 115-hp fuel cell drive combines with a series of lithium-ion batteries to act as a hybrid, bringing fuel economy down to an amazing 2.9 L/100 km with a total range of over 400 km.

     The F 700, however, is a brand new beast. Revealed a year ago at the Frankfurt International Motor Show, this full-size luxury mobile previews the styling of the next-generation S-Class. The exterior design is full of neat touches, including the yes-they-really-are-there Lucite 'spats' over the rear wheels, improving aerodynamic efficiency without resembling an early '90s Chevrolet Caprice. Mercedes-Benz calls it Aqua Dynamic.

     The interior is equally innovative, with spacious seating for four, however if the passenger seat is unoccupied, the rear seat on the right-hand side can be reclined or swiveled to face away from the direction of travel if, Mercedes claims, "he wishes to talk face-to-face with the person opposite, or to work, rest, or indulge in some audiovisual entertainment." The passengers-side rear door is even hinged at the rear to ease access if the seat is reversed.

     Those passengers riding in the rear won't have their conversation disturbed either, if the F700 has anything to say about it. MB fitted the concept with its new PRE-SCAN suspension, which really is an evolution of the company's ABC system (Active Body Control) that reduces pitch and roll in any number of its high-end products. PRE-SCAN takes all those computers, pumps and pieces.

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