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COVERSTORY

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Mercedes-Benz celebrates the rebirth of its flagship E-Class with the E300 — a car in a class of its own. With a new star born, the automobile giant’s Malaysian president and CEO Peter Honegg speaks to Elaine Lau and Anandhi Gopinath about the evolution of this symbol of style and design and his hope of maintaining the brand’s pole position in the luxury car market segment.

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f you had a moment of déjà vu looking at this week’s cover of Options, you would be correct — Mercedes-Benz Malaysia president and CEO Peter Honegg has indeed graced the cover before, in November 2007. While it is not our usual practice to feature repeat personalities, the momentous launch of Mercedes-Benz’s new E300 necessitated it.

The E-Class is the flagship of the Mercedes-Benz stable and its most popular car. Honegg says, “The E-Class was always the core of our brand.

We have the niche models — beautiful cars like the SL or prestigious cars like the S-Class and so on, but the core was and is the E-Class. Therefore, it is so important to us. We put lot of effort in each and every car, but especially the E-Class.”

Boasting the same unparalleled driving experi-

ence — and, of course, that of being driven — the new E300 marks a revolution for the design team at Mercedes-Benz, which shed the now recognisable look of the E-Class in favour of something rather different.

Reinventing the design wheel is nothing new for Mercedes-Benz, which began to shift its focus to the design element of its cars in the mid-1990s. Other competing brands — BMW, Audi, Lexus — made cars that had similar hi-tech functionalities and powerful engines; the major differentiation and pull for customers boiled down to the design of the car. Also, Mercedes-Benz wanted to attract the younger set of wealthy executives and shed the “old tycoon” image that has stuck so resolutely to the car, especially in this part of the world.

Enter the W210 model in 1995. In place of the staid, boxy model of yesteryear was one that had

sleek lines, sexy curves and the now iconic round, “four-eye” headlights. An updated version of that model, W211, was introduced in 2002.

And now in 2009, with the E300, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class’ image makeover from a car your father would drive to one that’s sexy and exciting is complete. With a leap forward in design, the E300 has retained the fundamental design elements of the E-Class vehicle, this time given a sportier edge and injected with a whole lot of attitude. A stronger definition is seen in every aspect of the car: the lines are bolder, more angular, the round headlights are now rectangularshaped, and the skirting more prominent. Even the colour scheme is a departure from the norm — the model we photographed was white, with an all-black roof, and silver accents that ran along the lines on the sides and around the car.

“Dominant” is the word Honegg uses to describe the E300. “Look at the four eyes: before they were round and smooth. Now, by making them more square-ish, I feel that the car is more dominant on the road. Also, the back of the car is just as important. This back, with the arrow bonnet, is very dynamic and bold. The C-Class was a step in this design direction but here, we have really fulfilled our task and have brought something that is definitely setting a new trend.”

Honegg adds, “The S-Class and the E-Class are the ones that are avant-garde, ahead of their time.

They always have features that are not normally introduced into the auto world — something that is more and more complicated nowadays. Also, the E-Class is the one setting the pace in design.”

The E300 is launched hot on the heels of a worldwide economic slump, and Honegg explains it’s part of Mercedes-Benz’s overall strategy that will be carried out regardless. “The model cycle is very clearly defined, which is between six and eight years. It’s for different reasons — you can do facelifts, change the engine, but normally after six to seven years, the customer wants something really new and this is independent of the economic situation. Last year was the best year we have ever had in the almost 60 years we’ve been in Malaysia — we sold 4,300 cars last year, which was the best result ever.

“In 2009, the beginning was not very gloomy, but we won’t reach the 2008 figures… We are very happy to have this new car now because like the C-Class we introduced last year, it was a real success. For the first time, we came head-to-head with and even above our main competitors. This, now, is the right time. We are lucky because customers are waiting for the next car. They are looking for something new… the anticipation is there.”

The E300 was launched mid-year internationally and 10,000 units have already been sold worldwide. In Malaysia, orders were already pouring in even before the car’s official launch. With the new star in the Mercedes-Benz stable, Honegg hopes to maintain its pole position in the luxury car market segment.

He says, “Our target is very simple: keep the leading position. With the S-Class and E-Class, we have always had more than 50% of the luxury market. If I were to define the luxury market in this segment, it would be Audi, BMW, Lexus and Volvo. Our target is to keep that lead and even increase it a little, but nowadays with more and more competitors, it’s complicated.

“But we are in a lucky position, for we have our existing customers who come back. It’s easy to convince our own customers to stay in the family.”

What about new customers, we ask. Does Mercedes-Benz expect to draw in new customers with this car?

“I think we can get customers from the competition because everybody has the image that we are about safety and luxury, the car that’s chauffeur-driven rather than driven yourself. But with this car, you can drive yourself — I promise you it’s more dynamic than all the competition. I don’t

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| PHOTOGRAPHY BY HARIS HASSAN | LAYOUT BY CALVIN YUEN |

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COVERSTORY from previous page want to change the image of Mercedes-Benz, suddenly telling you it’s a self-driven car, but what I am saying is you can drive it yourself. You will see the experience is as good as the other.”

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he three-pointed star logo of Mercedes-Benz is undeniably one of the most recognisable icons in the world. It is associated with luxury, and regarded as the vehicle of choice for the affluent in Asia and Europe.

Especially in Malaysia, more so than any other luxury car, Mercedes-Benz as a status symbol is deeply entrenched in our psyche. Owning a Mercedes-Benz epitomises success, position and wealth — nothing says “you’ve made it” more than a Mercedes-Benz.

Today, Mercedes-Benz is still considered the ultimate status symbol, but in recent years, that image has evolved to being associated with lifestyle elements like fashion, fine-dining and jazz music. Mercedes-Benz presents fashion weeks in New York City, Miami and Berlin. In Malaysia,

Mercedes-Benz has presented the Stylo Fashion Festival for the past two years, and prior to that, it was part of the Malaysia International Fashion Week for three years.

Honegg says it is all about aligning itself with a particular lifestyle and evoking the right kind of emotion that is associated with both cars and high fashion — it’s all very exhilarating and fun.

“Thirty years ago, we sold cars, acceleration, safety, things like that. Nowadays, we sell emotions.

We have to admit that none of our competitors have lousy products. The advantage you have is getting smaller and smaller, and the car itself gets more emotional,” says Honegg.

“One of the expressions is fashion. We don’t want to be fashionable, because fashion is something that changes every six months, but it has something to do with style. We definitely have style.

We are not following the latest trends, but are setting the pace. It doesn’t bring me one-to-one sale, but you cannot ask how much marketing money you put in and then tell how many cars you have sold. You have to polish your star… if you don’t, no one sees it.”

In Malaysia, Mercedes-Benz also presents the Pen-

Our target is very simple: keep the leading position.

With the S-Class and E-Class, we have always had more than 50% of the luxury market. If I were to define the luxury market in this segment, it would be Audi, BMW, Lexus and Volvo. Our target is to keep that lead and even increase it a little, but nowadays with more and more competitors, it’s complicated. — Honegg

ang Island Jazz Festival and the Malaysia International Gourmet Festival, further efforts to “polish the star”.

“One of the main targets of the marketing guys is to keep existing customers happy and make it so attractive that other customers also come in. So, you look at what our customers are interested in. Finedining is one, and that’s why we’re in the Malaysia International Gourmet Festival. With the jazz festival, jazz music is something that is also avant-garde; it is something that is outside the norm and always going further. It is something that we do ourselves as well,” says Honegg, adding that Mercedes-Benz also gets involved in a lot of philanthropy.

One of the key drivers for Mercedes-Benz in becoming a stronger lifestyle-skewed brand is to widen its appeal particularly to women. MercedesBenz recognises that women play a huge role in influencing their partner’s purchasing decisions. But more than that, the global trend points towards an increasing number of women customers. Honegg shares that in Malaysia, women customers make up almost 30% of its clientele. “It’s very astonishing to me, and I’m very happy about it,” he says.

Making the brand more appealing to women is definitely something that the marketing machinery at Mercedes-Benz is focusing on. Besides fashion events, there are also targeted events and campaigns. “We do certain marketing campaigns for women only,” says Elaine Hew, general manager of marketing communication at Mercedes-Benz Malaysia. “We bring them to a spa or have a makeover and introduce the cars to them. At the end of the day, it’s not an ad going out there. It’s how you position your brand, and do product placement — there isn’t something feminine per se but women would sure like it.”

With its strong design element, it could also be perceived that the E300 is a new means of reaching to new and current women buyers. Unprecedented quality, unmatchable style and a compelling emotive quality — all qualities that women are always watchful for.

Luckily, they are all qualities Mercedes-Benz represents in all of their cars.

Evolution of the E-Class

1965 President John F Kennedy and the rise of American automobiles made any American trend the new thing to follow, so Mercedes-Benz incorporated tailfins — colloquially called the Fintail — into its design of the Mercedes-Benz 200 “Tailfin”.

1957 The first modern mid-sized MercedesBenz, the Ponton was a stylish sedan with a classic design that exemplified the energy of the period — petticoats were in full whirl to the new trend that was rock ‘n’ roll.

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1950 After WWII, MercedesBenz restarted its operations, and produced the 170 V. Groundbreaking for its time, the 170 V established new standards in the automotive industry for comfort and elegance.

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1968 Diesel engines joined the line-up, as did a coupé body, giving a breath of new life into Mercedes-Benz cars. The Stroke 8, which had a six-cylinder engine, was produced at the height of the hippie movement in the late 1960s.

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First impressions If the new Mercedes-Benz E300 were an actor, we’d say it’s a lot like Jude Law. It’s mature yet boyish, and welcomes you with a confident and mischievous come-hither look. Irresistible? Yes, and throw in disarming, too.

Parked majestically in the grassy compound of the Saujana Club, the E300 was McDreamy and McSteamy all rolled into one and presented in a breathtaking package. It was a matter of seconds before we quite willingly fell for its flirtatious ways and good looks. Besotted, quite frankly.

If eyes are the windows to the human soul, headlights are what define a car’s immediate appeal. The E300’s headlights were the starting point of a radically different silhouette for the E-Class. Mercedes-Benz chose to relinquish the twin oval headlights that were such an integral part of the E-Class look for new ones that are sportier and more aerodynamically shaped — much like the lights on the S-Class.

It gives the nose of the car a meaner, more angular look that is quite a welcome change from the curvy shape of previous E-Class cars.

The mean, lean look continues along its crisp lines on its sides, revealing the simply beautiful aerodynamics of the car. Its slender, streamlined silhouette travels down the length of the car, and even allows the black sunroof to slide gracefully behind in a single, sleek motion. The back then swings into a smooth, elegant finish.

Sequinned LED lights on the skirting of the car, black detailing on the side mirrors and matte, five-spoke rims add a sportier, younger feel. It’s also more confident and more self-assured — it picks up on a new sense of power.

Assuming the majestic presence of the S-Class but retaining the accessibility of the E-Class, the E300’s dynamic and edgy design possesses a certain je ne sais qois that truly sets it apart. It exudes a very sensuous verve and brashness that is not usually seen in a Mercedes-Benz sedan.

The sporty feel continues on the inside of the car with a matte black finish

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— lavish leather wraps the fully articulated seats, dashboard, door panels and centre console, matched with silver accents. The very retro-inspired odometers are an odd juxtaposition with the sleek, edgy feel of the car, yet it’s a combination that works really well. A minimalist centre console completes the look.

The back seats are superbly comfortable, even with the sharpest of turns we didn’t slide all over the place — the seat hugs you without the discomfort of bucket seats. Screens on the headrest of the front two passengers give backseat drivers something to do, with facilities for gaming as well as movie watching. Although the E300 is meant to be bigger than its older cousins, we felt that there wasn’t an exceptional amount of leg space, albeit adequate for the taller, burlier of men. Then again, a cosier cabin does work better for a sports car.

The boot space is roomier and includes a unique storage compartment. With a click of a button, a rectangular shelf appears from the top of the boot that can be extended to a box. A great place for us girls to keep our shoes, we think, and the Mercedes-Benz guys agree.

We had very little chance to test the car for performance, as it had not yet been registered at the time and it couldn’t officially be taken on the road. But we did manage to take a few spins in the courtyard of Saujana KL under the watchful eyes of the Mercedes-Benz people, who were sweating as the car ate up yard after yard of precious road — they could tell we were dying to floor this baby. Certainly, the little we could do was quite enough — as high heels made tender contact with the pedals, the power that’s contained under the sleek bonnet showed.

The E300 glided along, impressing us with little things like tight turning circles and easy manoeuvring. Giving it up was painful indeed, and as it made its casual journey away from us, all we could think was how we hated to see it leave, but oh, how we loved to see it go. — By Elaine Lau and Anandhi Gopinath

1995 Mercedes-Benz established a strong design identity for the E-Class with twin oval lights, establishing its look and feel as one of the most beautiful sedans in the luxury car industry.

1976 The art deco craze and Rubik Cubes permeated creative inclinations, and Mercedes-Benz produced the W123, which quickly became a best seller. Over 2.3 million cars were produced until the end of production in 1985.

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1993 It’s the age of rebirths — as Germany celebrated a new nation with the fall of the Berlin Wall, Mercedes-Benz celebrated the birth of the E-Class.

An evolution of its predecessor and considered by the motoring media as an even more competitive offering from Mercedes-Benz, the W211 EClass debuted in the American market with a role in the blockbuster hit, Men in Black II.