Shape of things to come

Mercedes-Benz aims to reinforce its ambition to help ‘shape the mobility of tomorrow’ during its appearance at the 10-day Frankfurt International Motor which starts on September 14.

The marque will be exhibiting around 100 vehicles in its home country of Germany, among them several world premières of innovative concept cars.

The Mercedes-AMG Project ONE, for example, will be the first-ever automobile to feature genuine Formula 1 hybrid technology. With the new, electrically-powered smart showcar, the brand is exhibiting a study by the recently founded product and technology brand EQ.

It says, this fully autonomously driving study is the first model to comprehensively embody all four pillars of the CASE corporate strategy, meaning connected, autonomous, shared and electric.

It stands for maximum mobility efficiency in and for the urban environment thanks to systematic further development of the car-sharing concept and the company claims it makes the vision of individualised, highly-flexible urban public transport a reality.

A further Mercedes-Benz world première will be the fully electric EQ concept vehicle within the compact car segment. With its EQ brand Mercedes-Benz will in future also offer compact vehicles with electrically-driven power units to consequently make electromobility available for ‘an important target group’.

A fuel cell plug-in hybrid vehicle will also make its first appearance at the event. The Mercedes-Benz GLC F CELL EQ Power combines practical advantages such as a long range (500km in the standard cycle) and short hydrogen fuelling times with locally emission-free driving.

Also having their debut in Frankfurt are the comprehensively updated S Class Coupé and S Class Cabriolet in standard and AMG versions.

And, the Mercedes among pick-ups will celebrate its public première at the IAA show. The Mercedes-Benz X Class combines the typical attributes of a pick-up – robust, functional, durable, and suitable for off-road driving – with the classic strengths of a genuine Mercedes – design, comfort, driving dynamics and safety. With its SUV design as a hallmark feature of the brand, its deisgners say the X Class fits smoothly into the Mercedes-Benz portfolio.

As is traditional, the IAA show will open on Monday from 6.30pm with the Mercedes-Benz Media Night. A press conference will take place the following morning.

At a ‘Meet the experts’ Wednesday session, Tobias Moers, chairman of Mercedes-AMG, Dr Annette Winkler, CEO of smart, Dr Jens Thiemer, vice president marketing Mercedes-Benz Cars and Wilko Stark, head of CASE, will take hourly turns to answer questions about brand and future-related topics.

For more information about the current range of models contact Al Haddad Motors on 17785454.