2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

The May 15 world premiere date for the all-new Mercedes-Benz S-Class is nearing, and the first official photo showing the exterior of the car has broken cover, courtesy of the German firm itself. To explain, Mercedes-Benz uploaded the picture on its mobile consumer website in Austria earlier this morning but has since removed it.
The single picture shows the front-quarter end of Mercedes’ new flagship luxury sedan, which is dominated by a larger grille than on the current model and teardrop-shaped headlights.

We’re not absolutely sure about this, but the model shown here may be the one sporting an AMG package or at least a sportier trim line, as the bumper looks too aggressive with its creases and large air intakes.

Codenamed W222, the all-new S-Class features a similar side profile with the CLA below the waist line, albeit with different proportions, obviously. Compared with the current model, the wheel arches are no longer exaggerated.

Besides this official image, a fan site named "Humster3d" also posted 3D-renderings of the S-Class that you can check out in the gallery and video posted below.

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2014 Mercedes E-Class

First of all, they ditched the four separate headlamps, an E-Class staple since 1995, in favor of a single one-piece unit on each side that encompasses all lighting elements. Mercedes says that the graphic design of the inner elements retain the “four-eyed” look while both the day-time running lights and the dipped beam have partial LED lights as standard and full LED lights are offered as an option.

For the first time, the E-Class, like the smaller C-Class, will be available with two different front-end designs. The base and Elegance trim levels feature the classic grille with three louvers and the three-pointed star on the bonnet, while the Avantgarde gets the sporty treatment with the star integrated in the grille.

In profile, the 2014 E-Class replaces the pontoon-style rear side panels with a new feature line that runs from the rear door to the elongated, LED taillights and, according to the company, emphasizes the side trim that has been shifted downwards and gives the car a more elongated shape.

In the cabin, the main highlights are the redesigned center console, the new instrument cluster, a two-part wood or aluminum trim that runs across the entire dashboard and a new analogue clock between the central air vents.

All versions of the E-Class will be equipped with an electromechanical Direct-Steer steering that combines speed-sensitive power assistance and a variable ratio of the steering gear.

The 2014 model will be available with four suspension set-ups. The base and Elegance trim levels will get the DIRECT CONTROL adjustable suspension tuned for comfort, the Avantgarde trim will have the same suspension lowered by 15 mm, the Exterior Sports and AMG sports packages will get a lowered sports suspension and the V8 models will be fitted with the electronically controlled AIRMATIC air suspension.

In Europe, Mercedes-Benz will offer the new E-Class with either a six-speed manual or the 7G-Tronic seven-speed auto transmission and no less than 18 engines, all of them fitted with an auto stop/start system.

Ten of them are gasoline units and range from a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder in 181HP (184PS) and 207HP (211PS) versions for the E 200 and E 250 respectively to a 4.6-liter V8 with 402HP (408PS) and 600 Nm (442.5 lb-ft) of torque for the E 500.

There are also six diesels and two diesel-electric hybrids: the 2.2-liter E 300 in 201 HP (204 PS) rear-wheel drive and the 248HP (252 PS) 3.0-liter all-wheel drive E 350 4MATIC.

Both saloon and estate variants will be equipped with the radar-based Collision Prevent Assist warning system that features adaptive braking and the Attention Assist system, which can detect the driver’s level of fatigue and issue a warning in case he is too tired or drowsy.

Of course, there’s also an armada of safety systems. These include the semi-auto Distronic Plus with Steering Assist cruise control, the BAS Plus brake assist that, thanks to the Junction Assist system can detect crossing traffic or pedestrians and increase braking power, the Pre-Safe system that optimizes the car’s safety systems and the automated Active Parking Assist that uses a 360-degree camera to provide a bird’s eye view of the surroundings.

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Mercedes-Benz CLS

While it does look sleek, the Shooting Brake is a large vehicle that measures 4,956mm (195.2 inches) long, 1,881mm (74.1 inches) wide and 1,413 mm (55.6 inches) tall. This means it has the same width with the CLS sedan but it is 16mm longer and surprisingly, 3mm lower than the saloon it is based upon.

Another surprise comes from the load area as with 590 liters of space with the rear seats in their position, the CLS Shooting Brake beats the Jaguar XF Sportbrake (550 liters), Audi A6 Avant (565 liters) and BMW 5-series Touring (560 liters) losing only to its E-Class Wagon stablemate (695 liters).

With the rear seats folded, however, the Shooting Brake with 1,550 liters of space falls behind all four cars (Jaguar: 1,675 liters, Audi: 1,680 liters, BMW: 1,670 liters and Mercedes E-Class Wagon: 1,950 liters).

The Shooting Brake is equipped as standard with a self-leveling air suspension at the rear while another special feature worth mentioning is the available 'designo' wooden luggage compartment floor that Mercedes says "serves to underscore the hand-finished nature of the interior".

In addition, unlike the CLS sedan that gets a strict-two seat layout at the back, the Shooting Brake features three seats, the backrests of which can be folded down from the luggage compartment as standard.

Customers will be able to choose from five interior colors, five trim designs and also three qualities of leather.

The initial engine range for Europe will include a total of four powertrains, all coupled to a 7-speed 7G-TRONIC PLUS automatic transmission with an ECO start/stop function.

These include two diesels, the CLS 250 CDI with a 2.1-liter four-cylinder turbo rated at 201hp (204PS) and the CLS 350 CDI powered by a 3.0-liter V6 delivering 261hp (265PS), and two petrol models, the CLS 350 with a 302hp (306PS) 3.5-liter V6 and the CLS 500 sporting a 4.7-liter V8 turbo producing 402hp (408PS).

The CLS 350 CDI and the CLS 500 will also be offered with Mercedes' 4MATIC all-wheel drive system.

In the UK, Mercedes will only offer the two rear-wheel drive diesel models.

In 2013, the Shooting Brake's range will be enhanced with the flagship CLS 63 AMG version series, likely powered by a 5.5-liter bi-turbocharged V8 rated at 530bhp (537PS) in standard trim.

Mercedes-Benz has said that it has no current plans to bring the Shooting Brake to North America.

If you scroll down, you'll find all the technical data for the European-spec model along with Mercedes-Benz's account on the origins of the Shooting Brake/Break moniker, plus 80 high-resolution photos and a video.

[From Mercedes-Benz] It's all in a name: the origins of the name "Shooting Break"
"Break, or the homonym Brake, was the name once given to carriages used to "break" in wild horses and also to restrict (or "brake") their urge to move, so that they could be put to use as work horses. Since the carts could easily be broken as part of this process, people tended not to use ones which they may have urgently needed for other purposes.

Where necessary, "Brakes" were often fitted out with variable bodies, which were only really used to carry along anything that may have been necessary for the hunt, for example. Any such vehicle which was used when going out shooting was called a Shooting Brake or Shooting Break. Motorised Shooting Brakes were popular in England in the 60s and 70s – exclusive two-door sports cars, which combined the luxury and style of a coupé with a larger load compartment and large tailgate."

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