The Malaysian Insider :: Breaking Views
The Malaysian Insider :: Breaking Views |
| Daimler takes aim at youth with compact Mercedes CLA Posted: 14 Jan 2013 08:01 AM PST DETROIT, Jan 14 — German auto giant Daimler is taking aim at the youth market with the compact, stylish — and lower priced — Mercedes CLA coupe, unveiled Sunday on the eve of the Detroit auto show. A sleek silhouette delivers world-leading aerodynamics, while frameless doors offset the sporty, muscular look of a bold grill and sweeping curves in the body. "The CLA is a style rebel," Mercedes design chief Gordon Wagener said. "The dynamic design idiom is manifested in breath-taking proportions, muscular, flowing contours and sculptural surfaces." The interior offers all the high-tech gadgets and luxurious features customers expect from a Mercedes, like a multimedia console that seamlessly integrates with the iPhone. The powerful engine, smooth suspension and four-wheel drive also promise agility, power and an efficient drive. It will also be outfitted with the latest in collision prevention, including drowsiness detection and a radar that warns drivers of obstacles even at very slow speeds and will initiate braking if the driver is distracted. "With the new CLA-class, we will open a completely new gateway to the Mercedes brand here in the US," Mercedes sales chief Joachim Schmidt told reporters. "Our goal is to repeat the success story of the CLS in a new segment." The CLA is aimed at both the youth market and the "young at heart" who value "trendy and high-class design, quality and refinement and personal expression through authentic brands," Schmidt said. Set to hit US dealerships in April, Daimler will launch an advertising blitz — and announce the price — during the Superbowl on February 3, which is being held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. The vehicle will be sold worldwide and Daimler chief Dieter Zetsche said it will be a "great car" for China and will also do well in other parts of Asia and Europe. He did not disclose a sales target. — AFP/Relaxnews |
| Luxury, sports cars in Detroit spotlight as sales boom Posted: 14 Jan 2013 07:56 AM PST DETROIT, Jan 14 — Luxury and sports cars will be in the spotlight when the Detroit auto show opens Today amid booming sales and renewed optimism as the US economy rebounds from a deep downturn. "The mood is going to be pretty good," said Dave Sergeant, an analyst with JD Power. "The industry is coming off a reasonably good year and this year should be even better.  The Mercedes CLA class car is premiered at a press event on the eve of the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, January 13, 2013. — AFP pic The Detroit Three carmakers are raking in huge profits again after years of painful restructuring and a renewed focus on the product side of their business. Their Asian and European counterparts are also investing heavily in the United States as they jostle for position in the highly competitive market and look for a place to grow sales amid a slowdown in China and Brazil and the collapse of European demand. "The product is the best consumers have seen in a long time," Jesse Toprak, an analyst with the automotive site TrueCar.com, told AFP. GM's new Corvette was the most hotly anticipated and select journalists were given a sneak preview at a lavish preview Sunday night. The muscular and sculpted Corvette Stingray shares a name with the iconic 1963 model but is an entirely new vehicle, sharing only two parts with the previous generation Corvette. "The soul of our company is sitting right here in Corvette," GM North America president Mark Reuss said. "This car is the reason I work at GM." Daimler also offered a sneak peak at an entirely new car, the compact, stylish — and lower priced — Mercedes CLA coupe which is aimed squarely at the youth market. "The CLA is a style rebel," Mercedes design chief Gordon Wagener said. "The dynamic design idiom is manifested in breath-taking proportions, muscular, flowing contours and sculptural surfaces." Both vehicles will compete with luxury sports cars from Audi, BMW and a new muscle car from specialty carmaker Shelby once the show officially starts Today. Pickup truck fans will also have plenty of new models to feast their eyes upon, with the new Chevy Silverado and a concept (or pre-production) truck from Ford ahead of the 2015 launch of the next version of its top-selling F-series. Honda will be testing out a concept for a smaller sport utility vehicle, as will Ford's luxury Lincoln brand. There will be plenty of new hulks on the floor as well, especially from Chrysler's Jeep and Dodge brands. And even the more down-market vehicles are going to be decked out with features that were once reserved for luxury brands, like collision avoidance technology and heated side mirrors. "Those features tend to be fairly profitable because once they get into the mass market they're not that expensive to install and consumers will pay fairly well for them," said Jeremy Anwyl, vice chairman of automotive site Edmunds.com. Drivers looking for improved fuel economy will have a wide range of options as automakers push hybrids, diesel and electric vehicles, and boost the efficiency of standard gasoline engines ahead of upcoming tough new government standards. But with hybrids and other alternative powertrains still only making up about three percent of the US market, carmakers are going to have to work harder on their green car pitches.There is hope that younger buyers could help push demand for green cars to the point where it would have a significant impact on fuel consumption. "While they're not necessarily going to gravitate to and make a buying decision because of 'green,' they have a preference towards new technologies," said Joe Vitale, an auto analyst with Deloitte. "We think this generation may be the generation that creates a tipping point to an electrified world." More than 50 new models will be revealed today and Tuesday as automakers vie for the attention of some 6,000 journalists from around the world. — AFP/Relaxnews |
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