Some automakers might be skipping the Paris Motor Show later this month, but not Mercedes-Benz.
Mercedes-Benz just announced its plans for the Paris Motor Show, and they're big.
A brand-new B-Class
The main debut will be a new B-Class, a
model that has appeared in the US before, but only single variants and
never the full lineup. Mercedes-Benz promises that it'll be sportier but
also more comfortable than the car that came before it, and it'll pack
the new MBUX infotainment system, in addition to safety systems taken
straight from the S-Class.
The current B-Class has
been on sale since the 2012 model year. This compact hatchback gets its
forward motion from a variety of sources, including gasoline, diesel and
compressed natural gas.
There's also a battery-electric variant on offer, one that actually
made it to the US. The original B-Class Electric Drive borrowed its
drivetrain from Tesla, but subsequent iterations shifted over to
dedicated Mercedes-Benz hardware. However, with an EPA-estimated range
of just 87 miles and a preincentive base price above $40,000, it never
really took off in the US. With the advent of the electric EQC
crossover, it's unlikely that the B-Class Electric Drive will come back
to the US if it's revived for this new generation.
We're not sure what the new B-Class will look like, but here's the current one for some context.
A new hot hatch
The Mercedes-Benz A-Class will exist as both a
hatchback and a sedan, with the latter coming to the US. But there's a
new hopped-up AMG variant of the hatchback that we're hoping will
translate to the sedan in time, as well.
The Mercedes-AMG A35 is a
gnarly little hot hatch. Its 2.0-liter turbocharged I4 gas engine puts
out a meaty 302 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, which is sent
to all four wheels by way of a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. It'll
hit 62 mph in about 4.7 seconds with the help of standard launch
control, and it'll annoy the neighbors with the help of a sportier
exhaust system.
With adaptive dampers, big ol' brakes and a
variable-ratio steering rack, it'll undoubtedly hustle around corners
with alacrity. Swaddled in bright yellow paint, it looks like an angry
Pikachu, but what fun is an AMG if it doesn't shout its existence from
the rooftops?
The Mercedes-AMG A35 should look pretty swell in sedan form, as well.
EQC: A new era for Mercedes
Paris will also mark the auto show debut for the Mercedes-Benz EQC,
a new battery-electric SUV. With one electric motor on each axle, the
EQC will put out 402 horsepower and 564 pound-feet of torque, and its
80-kWh battery pack should give the EQC somewhere between 200 and 250
miles of range on a single charge.
The EQC doesn't look all that
different from the GLC-Class that it sort of resembles, but that's by
design. It's still a Mercedes-Benz, after all, and that's definitely
apparent inside, as the EQC's interior doesn't look all that different
from any other new Merc on the market. If it ain't broke...
GLE gets ready to rock the 'burbs
One of the O.G. luxury SUVs gets a fresh new face and a whole lot of tech to go along with it.
The Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class
will also make its auto show debut in Paris. In the US, it'll launch
with two different engines -- a 255-horsepower I4 and a 362-horsepower
I6. The latter will come with Mercedes-Benz's EQ Boost 48-volt mild
hybrid system, which should improve its fuel economy a fair bit. That
48-volt system will also work with a new air suspension that should make
its ride even smoother.
With a wheelbase that's 3.1 inches longer
than before, the GLE-Class picks up something it never had before—an
optional third row of seats.
2019 Mercedes-Benz A-Class Sedan: Here's what to expect from the US-spec A-Class Sedan.
2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class: Looking for something a bit bigger and fancier? The CLS has your back.
