CLA Shooting Brake jumps the gun

A barrage of new models – some bearing confusing new badges – will shortly begin to lob in Australian Mercedes-Benz showrooms, starting with the CLA Shooting Brake.

The wagon version of the CLA, which shares its MFA platform with the A-Class hatch, has arrived in showrooms ahead of its local media launch. Pricing and specifications were announced three months ago, and some buyers have even taken delivery of the new model, which Mercedes-Benz has priced in a band from $52,400 through to the $89,900 for the range-topping CLA 45 variant.

According to Jerry Stamoulis, Manager for Public Relations and Product Communications at Mercedes-Benz Australia, the CLA Shooting Brake is just the start of what's shaping up to be a busy year for the prestige brand.

The V-Class (V 250) successor to the Viano is set to arrive here at the end of next month. Based on a modified version of the Vito's rear-wheel drive platform, the people mover promises to be more car-like.

"With the change of name, there's a much closer relationship to the passenger cars... so there's the Burmester sound system, the dashboard's very much like a C-Class, much quieter cabin... so moving away from the van roots," Stamoulis explained during the media drive program for the CLA Shooting Brake yesterday. Around the same time, Mercedes-Benz Australia will also launch the new Vito van.

Mercedes-AMG's C 63 in the new 205 series C-Class body style will arrive here before the end of July, as will the GT sports car. Benz will hold back the release of the wagon ('Estate') version of the C 63 until mid-August for local launch.

Formerly known as the M-Class, the new GLE SUV and its low-roof 'Coupe' sibling will arrive here during September. An A-Class facelift will be unveiled globally before the end of this year, with the Aussie-spec range also expected before to arrive here in time for Christmas.

Yet to be locked in officially for a local release, the S 600 Maybach is anticipated for a November launch.

Sharing its platform with the rear-drive C-Class passenger car range, the GLC SUV is scheduled for its international launch around the middle of next month. Stamoulis revealed that the GLC's local launch is pencilled in for December.

The C-Class Coupe makes its global debut before the end of this year, and its local launch is anticipated to take place during the second quarter of 2016. Not long after, around the middle of 2016, we'll see the long-awaited C 450 AMG Sport 4Matic here. This vehicle, which Benz expects to be a strong seller in the local market, has been delayed from reaching us by three months longer than usual, due to high demand in left-hand drive markets.

"Europe have only just started deliveries, so realistically our delay's probably three months behind what we'd normally have... so normally we're about six months behind Europe – it's just this one's nine..." Stamoulis observed.

A trickle of media information concerning the next E-Class will begin to flow before the end of this year, but the new car won't be launched anywhere until late in 2016.

As we've reported in the recent past, Mercedes-Benz Australia will kick off its plug-in hybrid marketing programme from near the end of this year with three new petrol/electric rechargeable variants. First cab off the rank is the C 350 plug-in hybrid – boasting a 30km battery-only range – which arrives in November ahead of the S-Class and GLE plug-ins (S 500 and GLE 500 respectively). Benz expects all three plug-ins to be well received as technology leaders in their respective segments, but the C-Class plug-in is expected to garner higher sales volumes, with the S 500 selling no more than around 10 units a year, according to Stamoulis. Falling somewhere in between is the GLE 500.

Further down the track, Mercedes-Benz will introduce 17 plug-in hybrids in all. However, Stamoulis pointed out, not all of them will necessarily be picked up for sale in Australia. If they follow the same path as the three plug-ins already known to be on the way here, they will be rechargeable from a standard 10Amp domestic power outlet and should be fully recharged within four hours.

Just like other brands, Mercedes-Benz sees plug-ins as a long process of educating the customer in Australia, where there are no tax benefits to be had, and few motorists care as much about the environment as they care about the hip pocket.

"It needs people to want the technology, rather than need... a tax benefit, because that doesn't exist here," said Stamoulis, explaining why Mercedes-Benz in Australia is committed to an education process for customers.

"We need to start somewhere, we need to educate our current customers, because speak to most – not all – Mercedes-Benz customers, they're not interested in plug-hybrids [in Australia]."

Curiously, Stamoulis indicated, performance may be one factor used to sell plug-in hybrids to Aussies.