KUCHING: Sole authorised dealer in East Malaysia for Mercedes-Benz vehicles Hap Seng Auto Sdn Bhd (Hap Seng Auto) unveiled the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Avantgarde at its Kuching Autohaus showroom near here on Thursday night.
CLASSY: Wong (left) and Hap Seng Auto’s general manager of commercial vehicle Brian Phang gesture the ‘thumbs-up’ sign for the new Mercedes-Benz E300.
The new locally-assembled model made its first arrival in Sarawak, after earlier launches in West Malaysia and Sabah in late November and December, respectively.
Its chief executive Wong Leh Seng pointed out that the delay was due to logistics problems.
“We were supposed to have the launch here last month, but due to the monsoon and certain shipping problems, we had it in Kota Kinabalu first.
“But, it is finally here in Kuching. The new E-Class is slightly bigger, wider and longer, with a lot of new features added which previously could only be found in the F-Class.”
Moreover, Wong noted that the response for the new model has been really encouraging.
“Prior to this Kuching launch, we have received over 30 orders. For this year, we hope that more than 50 per cent of total Mercedes-Benzs sold in East Malaysia will be this new E-Class,” he said.
In addition, Wong also took the opportunity to introduce the facelift model of Mercedes-Benz’s four-by-four SUV (sports utility vehicle) ML350 that night.
“At the same time, we are taking this opportunity to introduce our top-of-the-range SUV ML350. This particular unit has a few added features including its upgrade to AMG (Mercedes-Benz’s engineering unit AMG Engine Production and Development) specifications, making it exciting and a value for money purchase that will appeal to those who really appreciate this range of SUVs.”
Looking ahead, Wong assured customers that there will be more models coming up soon.
“I’m pretty sure that within this month and afterwards, we will introduce two more models, the E200 and E250. And then, we will also have another two ‘coupe’ models E250 and E350 to complete the range.”
The new Mercedes E300 Avantgarde exhibits several features that focus on driver’s safety, comfort and environmental compatibility in the luxury-class saloon segment. With its unique combination of driver assistance systems, the model’s standard features include a drowsiness-detection system called ‘Attention-Assist’.
Attention-Assist is equipped with highly sensitive sensors that continuously monitor more than 70 different parameters. This system aids as an alert-alarm for drivers that reduces the risk of committing steering errors. It also helps in assisting easier parking manoeuvres.
Apart from Attention-Assist, the new model includes another preventive occupant protection system ‘Pre-Safe’ that will automatically activate precautionary protective measures such as the car’s safety belts’ tensioners and force-limiters as well as its standard eight-airbags. Another prominent safety aspect is its child-seat attachments that are certified by ISOFIX (International Standardisation Organisation’s standards for children safety seats).
On the engineering aspects, a sophisticated technology package is behind the model’s six-cylinder V-engine, in which all four camshafts feature variable adjustment across the entire engine speed-range to ensure smoother start-up and speed shifts.
Optimised fuel combustion also results in lower consumption, while a balancer shaft ensures smooth operation. These new technologies cut down fuel consumption by up to 22 per cent while carbon dioxide emissions are lower than ever.