Mercedes-Benz S300 2015 News

6149 vehicles have been recalled including the Mazda RX-8 and new Volkswagen Tiguan.

There is so much convenience in today’s basic cars, even something like a Kia Cerato, that the top-end brands are changing their approach to luxury.

A vote by 75 motoring journalists from 22 countries has awarded the compact prestige car the World Car of the Year award for 2015.It finished on top of a 24-car field and eventually beat the two other finalists, the Ford Mustang and Volkswagen Passat.The other big prizes for 2015, Green Car of the Year and Performance Car of the Year, went to the plug-in hybrid BMW i8 and the Mercedes-AMG GT coupe.The winners were announced at the New York Motor Show today at an event hosted by Bridgestone Corporation and Autoneum at the culmination of a six-month voting process.The C-Class delivers levels of refinement, luxury, safety, ride and handling that challenge best-in-class.The awards are in their 11th year and previous winners include the Audi A6, BMW 3 Series, Lexus LS460 and Volkswagen Golf, Polo and Up.To be eligible for the overall World Car award, candidate cars must have become available for sale on at least two continents between January 1, 2014 and May 31, 2015.The WCOTY wins by Mercedes-Benz follow its victories in the Green Car contest in 2007 with the E320 Bluetec and 2012 with the S 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY and its Luxury Car success with the S Class in 2014.“We are extremely delighted of winning the honour of World Car of the Year,” says the chairman of Daimler, Dr Dieter Zetsche.The WCOTY victory follows a similar success for the C-Class in the CarsGuide Car of the Year award.The WCOTY judging panel says: “Taking its design and technological cues from the S-Class, the C-Class employs an all-new aluminium/steel hybrid platform and updated rear-drive powertrains that delivers levels of refinement, luxury, safety, ride and handling that challenge best-in-class.” WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2015Overall winner: Mercedes-Benz C-ClassGreen Car: BMW i8Performance Car: Mercedes-AMG GTLuxury Car: Mercedes-Benz S CoupeDesign: Citroen CactusPREVIOUS WORLD COTY WINNERS:2014: Audi A32013: Volkswagen Golf2012: Volkswagen Up2011: Nissan Leaf2010: Volkswagen Polo2009: Volkswagen Golf2008: Mazda22007: Lexus LS4602006: BMW 3 Series2005: Audi A6

The starting price of the flagship Mercedes-Benz S-Class limousine has dipped below $200,000 for the first time in seven years.The latest introduction to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class range, the S300 diesel hybrid, will start at $195,000 plus on-road costs when it arrives mid-year.The last Mercedes-Benz S-Class to get close to this price was the S320 diesel in 2008, priced from $198,810 plus on-road costs.There will be one other sweetener for plutocrats on a budget: the new S300 diesel hybrid sips just 4.5L/100km, not much more than a Toyota Prius despite weighing close to two-tonnes.The S300 is powered by a 2.1-litre four-cylinder diesel engine matched to a 20kW electric motor that boosts acceleration from rest and when on the move.It can reach the speed limit in a respectably brisk 7.6 seconds thanks to the instant torque available from the electric motor.Australian versions of the S300 hybrid are due to go into production in April, with the first shipments arriving in local showrooms by June.The new S-Class has made a flying start to the 2014 sales race, outselling the BMW 7 Series by more than two-to-one in the first two months of the year, and 10 times more than the Audi A8.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling