Monday, January 12, 2015
Mercedes-Benz Make Worldwide Debut of GLE Coupe at NAIAS 2015
Company also brings 'Best of CES' to stage plus two new C class vehicles
DETROIT – Mercedes-Benz had a lot to see and show at the North American International Auto Show 2015 on Monday, including a longer look at a self-driving luxury sedan it just unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
But the real news at this year's NAIAS was the worldwide debut of Mercedes-Benz' GLE Coupe, a vehicle that it says combines two classes of vehicle: the coupe and the SUV.
That sportier look is no coincidence, since Mercedes-Benz plans to bring an AMG version of the GLE Coupe to U.S. dealerships. The 4MATIC-equipped V6 will produce 362 horsepower and 384 lb-ft. of torque.
The first on the stage vehicle was the F 015 "Luxury in Motion" concept vehicle that Dr. Dieter Zetsche, who heads Mercedes-Benz Cars, described as what happened when the company fulfilled the question of what the world of autonomous vehicles would look like "if we started from scratch."
To underscore that achievement, the F 015 concept won "Best of CES," a feat that was underscored by Zetsche in his presentation.
Beyond the introduction of the GLE Coupe, Mercedes-Benz also announced a pair of C class vehicles, the C450 AMG 4MATIC and the C350 plug-in hybrid.
The C450 4MATIC brings a 3.0L V6 engine that delivers 362 horsepower; the C350 plug-in hybrid comes with a standard 7-speed automatic transmission and a four-cylinder gasoline engine producing 208 horsepower.
The plug-in hybrid also offers the ability to recommend the best operating strategy depending on route and road conditions.
Welcome
