UK misses out again

PeterCLK

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Read the report of the upgraded S class in today's Daily Telegraph.

This includes a hybrid model but guess what, won't be available for RHD drive markets as it costs to much to re-engineer it?

Same thing happened with GLK - no mid-sized SUV here from Mercedes, yet to me it makes a lot more sense than the R class.

Meanwhile Audi and BMW continue to offer their full line-ups to the UK.

Shame on you Mercerdes.
 

roadhog

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Seems a shame but I'm not sure you can blame them. They need to weigh up the cost of making them against the likely demand. I do think the GLK could do quite well but they obviously don't agree.
 

Seeker_UK

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If you read the review of the hybrid S Class in this month's "Mercedes Enthusiast", the view seems that although it's a hybrid and offers better fuel economy and emissions than the petrol models, it still comes a poor second to the diesel.

So to be honest, we haven't lost out much there.

As for the GLK, what does it really offer over an ML?
 

Alex M Grieve

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If you read the review of the hybrid S Class in this month's "Mercedes Enthusiast", the view seems that although it's a hybrid and offers better fuel economy and emissions than the petrol models, it still comes a poor second to the diesel.

So to be honest, we haven't lost out much there.

As for the GLK, what does it really offer over an ML?

Good point Seeker. Hybrid cars get a lot of hype, but when you study the detail, a well cared for diesel is just as good. Perhaps manufacturers might consider using some of the tips and tricks of the remapping and chipping specialists, when applied to cars for UK use for example.

Such modifications are truly "fit and forget", would cost very little in manufacture, and would last the life of the car, enhancing power, and/or economy.
 

hawk20

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If you read the review of the hybrid S Class in this month's "Mercedes Enthusiast", the view seems that although it's a hybrid and offers better fuel economy and emissions than the petrol models, it still comes a poor second to the diesel.

So to be honest, we haven't lost out much there.

As for the GLK, what does it really offer over an ML?

What it offers IMO is that it will be £5k to £10k cheaper, and will only need the new 250cdi Blue Efficiency engine to give 40 mpg at least, and emmissions well away from the top VED bands (unlike the ML). I think it would be a winner over here.

How can Mercedes engineers keep forgetting that a RHD version will be needed. Doh!:shock::confused:

There are almost as many people in RHD countries as there are in LHD countries according to wikipedia (in an ealier posting by a knowledgeable person whose name I can't remember). But see below. It seems he was wrong. Still a lot of people in LHD countries though.
 
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hawk20

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_hand_drive
Though originally most traffic drove on the left worldwide, today about 66% of the world's people live in right-hand traffic countries and 34% in left-hand traffic countries.

Jurisdictions with left-hand traffic

Alderney
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Australia
Bahamas
Bangladesh
Barbados
Bermuda
Bhutan
Botswana
Brunei
Cayman Islands
Christmas Island
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Cook Islands
Cyprus
Dominica
East Timor (drove on right 1928-1976)
Falkland Islands
Fiji
Grenada
Guernsey
Guyana
Hong Kong, China—unlike mainland China
India
Indonesia*
Ireland
Isle of Man
Israel
Jamaica
Japan (Okinawa 1978)
Jersey
Kenya
Kiribati
Lesotho
Macau, China—unlike mainland China
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Malta
Mauritius
Montserrat
Mozambique
Namibia (1918)
Nauru (1918)
Nepal
New Zealand
Niue
Norfolk Island
Pakistan
Papua New Guinea
Pitcairn Islands
Saint Helena
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Seychelles
Singapore
Solomon Islands
South Africa
Sri Lanka
Suriname
Swaziland
Tanzania
Thailand
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Turks and Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
Uganda
United Kingdom
British Virgin Islands
U.S. Virgin Islands—unlike rest of U.S.
Zambia
Zimbabwe

Total: 75 countries, territories and dependencies
Today, only four European countries drive on the left: Cyprus, Ireland, Malta and the United Kingdom. None shares a physical border with a country that drives on the right and all were once part of the British Empire. Some Commonwealth countries and other former British colonies, such as Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and South Africa drive on the left, but others such as Canada, Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and the United States drive on the right. Other countries that drive on the left in Asia are Thailand, Indonesia, East Timor and Japan. In South America, only Guyana and Suriname drive on the left. Most of the Pacific countries drive on the left.
 

roadhog

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Nice list there Mr Hawk, now list them in order of market share for a premium brand such as MB and you'll probably find that they don't amount to all that much. Probably less a case of engineers having 'forgotten' and more a case of accountants 'remembering'?

I do think though that the GLK must be worth bringing over to the UK where soft-roaders seem to be all the rage, for reasons best known to those that buy them. See BMW X3 and soon X1.....
 
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PeterCLK

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As for the GLK, what does it really offer over an ML?

You could say why buy a C class when you can buy an E class?

From what I can find out, the GLK is selling well so lots of customers must think it offers something.
 

hawk20

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Nice list there Mr Hawk, now list them in order of market share for a premium brand such as MB and you'll probably find that they don't amount to all that much. Probably less a case of engineers having 'forgotten' and more a case of accountants 'remembering'?

I do think though that the GLK must be worth bringing over to the UK where soft-roaders seem to be all the rage, for reasons best known to those that buy them. See BMW X3 and soon X1.....

Yes and the Tiguan, the Honda CRV, Nissan X trail, Toyota Rav 4, Ford this and that and on and on. Big market for smaller SUV's. Just a different way of styling the ever popular and functional estate car IMO, and many like the high driving position. I do too.
 

Seeker_UK

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You could say why buy a C class when you can buy an E class?

From what I can find out, the GLK is selling well so lots of customers must think it offers something.

This is true - lots of people buying X3s.
 

timwood2000

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Same thing happened with GLK - no mid-sized SUV here from Mercedes, yet to me it makes a lot more sense than the R class.

Peter - you can't seriously compare a GLK with an R class? They are completely different and targeting different audiences. Think of the GLK as an X3/Land Rover Freelander equivalent.

It's like saying a Grand Voyager makes more sense than your GL...
 

roadhog

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I don't think he was comparing them like for like but rather grouping them together as niche vehicles?
 

st4

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The GLK would sell well over here, but a used ML is a better bet IMHO. Although there are many justiction with RHD cars think of the US and central europe where this car will sell predominately. The ML isn't that large an SUV by todays standards anyway so I personally do not feel we are missing anything special.

As for the S400 hybrid, I am too glad that isn't coming to our shores as we still have the frankly excellent S320cdi, S500 and V12 models. Do we have an S400cdi, in europe they do and the 211 could be had with a V8 diesel. Nice to have the choice but for a 211 also an irrelevance as the V6 cars are more than fast enough.
 
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PeterCLK

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Peter - you can't seriously compare a GLK with an R class? They are completely different and targeting different audiences. Think of the GLK as an X3/Land Rover Freelander equivalent.

It's like saying a Grand Voyager makes more sense than your GL...

Yes, what I meant was that there is a far bigger potential market for the GLK than for the very niche R class, which as far as I can see, does not sell well.
 

Hibbo

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I've never forgiven them for not introducing TurboDiesels in RHD until the w210 in 1997... :mad:

Even thinking about emigrating to somewhere LHD...
 

Alex M Grieve

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I've never forgiven them for not introducing TurboDiesels in RHD until the w210 in 1997... :mad:..

Quite agree. Turbo Technics seemed to do a pretty credible job, so a RHD turbo diesel was possible - and very impressive.
 

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