Madrid Motor Show 2012: Mercedes-Benz

The morning at IFEMA began with a good breakfast courtesy of Mercedes-Benz. There was plenty of food, but there was something I couldn’t stop looking at from the moment I walked in. Its huge red bonnet, paired with the beautiful black soft top, placed this SLS AMG Roadster well above the rest. It’s not that there was no level, because there was, but this AMG belongs to another world.

The star brand brought no novelties to the Madrid Motor Show, but all the vehicles on display had their charm. From the SLS to the new A-Class, I liked them all. I don’t quite understand it. I used to not want to see a Mercedes even in paint, but now, with the exception of the E-Class and S-Class, they win me over. Is something really changing at Mercedes-Benz?

Its line is becoming much more youthful and sporty. The SL has stopped being a sports car for people over 50 so that, even with money, a 20-year-old can drive one without being looked down upon.

This morning I had the chance to ride in every Mercedes-Benz on show. Each one is different from the others, but the quality of the brand is evident, especially from certain models onward. You could say the interior is almost identical across the SLK, SL and SLS, but after riding in all three, I have to say there is a big leap from one to the next. I loved the SLS’s shift paddles. They have a metal feel that neither of the other two can match. They convey sportiness. They inspire confidence.

There were a couple of models that stood out from the rest. The Concept Style Coupé and the E 300 BlueTEC Hybrid. The first is a prototype, as you will know, that previews the lines of the future four-seat, four-door sports saloon. The second is the brand’s first diesel hybrid.

Models such as the B-Class, C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, CLS, ML and GLK were also present.