The Head Turning Mercedes E-Class Cabriolet

2011 Mercedes E-Class Cabriolet

Color me smitten. The all new 2011 Mercedes E-Class Cabriolet has me yearning to buy one. Unfortunately, it is a bit out of my budget, but I can still dream.

I’m not particularly fond of power puff blue, but the color scheme on this model is wonderful. Plus, Mercedes-Benz has continued with its cloth top which I welcome in this age of metallic three-fold convertible roofs.

Open & Shut

Mercedes designed the top to open and close within twenty seconds, a feat that can be accomplished at speeds up to 25 mph. Take a ride on California Highway One along the Big Sur coast and slow down just enough to activate the top.

When dropped, the top is stored in a special panel located behind the rear seat, with its own compartment within the trunk area. If you need additional trunk space, then you can keep the roof up and access that area which is separated from the storage compartment thanks to a retractable cover. In any event, you gain an extra 3 cubic feet with this arrangement for 13.8 cubic feet trunk storage capacity.

Mercedes keeps fabric soft top for its beautiful cabriolet.

Smart Safety Features

But enough about storage. The E-Class is already a can’t miss model, but the cabriolet turns it all up one notch. In addition, the cabriolet incorporates some of the best safety features for a car in this segment including roll-over protection, where the A-pillars are reinforced by two additional tubes and the plug-in B-pillars.

Importantly, this is the first Mercedes cabriolet to feature headbags, which are housed in the door paneling in the belt line area. According to Mercedes, the headbags cover a wide area – around 2.3 x 1.6 feet with a volume of 17 liters when deployed – the airbags provide extremely effective protection for occupants large and small in the event of a crash. The three-part side protection system – comprising headbag and thoraxbag – optimizes the level of protection afforded to individual parts of the body.

Spring Debut Set

Pricing has yet to be announced for the 2011 Mercedes E-Class Cabriolet which will go on sale in May 2010.

Source: Mercedes-Benz USA

The All New 2010 Mercedes GLK350 SUV

The all new Mercedes GLK Class (GLK350) offers entry level sport utility vehicle practicality, fully loaded.

The sport/utility market has fallen on hard times lately as consumers are fleeing this once popular segment in favor of smaller, more fuel efficient cars. That didn’t stopped Mercedes-Benz from moving forward with their plan to take a popular concept model, the Vision GLK, and putting it into production, the result being the first 2010 model available: the GLK-Class.

Fourteenth Mercedes Model

Arriving in showrooms in late December for January sale, the GLK represents the fourteenth model line for Mercedes-Benz, five of which are now sport/utility vehicles. Looking a lot like the GL-Class, the GLK is fresh from the ground up, a five passenger vehicle sporting taut lines, a steeply-raked windshield, projector beam headlamps, and an integrated rear spoiler. Clearly, the GLK is the sportiest of all Mercedes-Benz utility vehicles, the model with the most car-like appearance.

The GLK’s lone engine/transmission arrangement is a 3.5L 24-valve gas-powered V6 paired with the automaker’s popular 7-speed automatic transmission, which includes shift paddles. The GLK has been rated at 268 horsepower along with 258 lb.-ft of torque and is available in either rear wheel drive or 4MATIC full-time four-wheel-drive. Fuel economy estimates have both versions returning 21/22 mpg in highway driving.

Well Equipped SUV

There is nothing entry level about the GLK as desired Mercedes amenities are standard. Dual zone air conditioning; comprehensive air bag system for front, side, window, and knee protection; active front head restraints; center stack with 5” display; COMAND voice and navigation system; and Mercedes’ long list of handling and accident avoidance features are found in every GLK model.

The cabin is richly appointed and includes special touches such as the upper section of the dashboard in black to help reduce glare, an MP3 port found inside of the generously sized glove box, firm but comfortable seating front and back, and optional full leather seating, lighting, and audio packages.

Plenty of Cargo Room

Cargo space is generous whether with rear seat up, completely down, or split. With seats up the GLK has 23 square feet of cargo space that can quickly expand to 55 square feet when the rear seat is folded. If additional storage capacity is needed, you can choose the appearance package which includes aluminum roof wells and 20” 7-spoke light alloy wheels.

Perhaps the most pleasantly surprising attribute of the all-new GLK has nothing to do with engineering or style, but with its price. Mercedes-Benz has aggressively priced the rear driven model from $34,775 and the 4MATIC from $36,775, undercutting its principal competition by thousands of dollars including the Land Rover LR2, BMW X3, Audi Q5, and the Acura RDX.

Photo Credit: Mercedes-Benz

See Also — Mercedes C-Class Special Edition: Wow!