Mercedes-Benz to Reveal AMG-Tuned GLA45 and Concept S-Class Coupe in Detroit
“Mercedes-Benz will show several new models at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next week, among them the 2015 GLA45 AMG, the 2015 Concept S-Class Coupe and the 2015 C-Class.
Mercedes says the GLA45 AMG is aimed at younger buyers, which explains why it appears to be going for a performance image. The vehicle is a compact crossover built around an engine: an AMG-tuned turbocharged 4-cylinder producing 335 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque. The company says the vehicle will go from zero to 60 miles an hour in 4.8 seconds on its way to a top speed of 155 m.p.h. An AMG SpeedShift DCT 7-speed automatic transmission feeds that power through a 4Matic all-wheel-drive system.
From a design standpoint, the kinetic lines of the Concept S-Class Coupe – the 2-door version of Mercedes’ top-of-the-line sedan – accentuate the car’s wide, low-slug stance. The grand coupe features a power bulge on its long hood, powerful rear haunches and two speedy creases running along each side below a high beltline. Twenty-one-inch wheels peek from beneath lightly emphasized wheel arches. The interior, full of brushed and polished aluminum, has a 12.3-inch display screen in the dash below a slight hood.
No S-Class would be complete without a potent engine, and the Concept S-Class Coupe gets a 449-horsepower 4.7-liter twin-turbo V8. To keep occupants safe, the car has a stereo camera system that can keep track of objects up to 1,600 feet away. The cameras also scan the road for the Magic Body Control feature, which anticipates road conditions for a smooth ride and prescient handling characteristics.”
-nytimes.com/BENJAMIN PRESTON
