Mark Raine Archives - Heels & Horsepower Magazine

Mercedes-Benz South Africa announces introduction of five full Battery Electric Vehicles

vuyi on January 24, 2022

By H&H Admin

Through the introduction and inauguration of Mercedes-EQ to the South African market – the all-electric world of Mercedes-Benz and the brand which represents all electric powered vehicles, Mercedes-Benz has provided further proof that the age of electric mobility has arrived.

Five new models from the global Mercedes-EQ range will be launched during the course of 2022 in South Africa as part of a clear strategic push to position the brand as a global and local leader in the electric vehicle market.

The range for 2022 includes the EQA SUV, the family-sized SUV EQB, The mid-sized EQC, based on the GLC platform, the electric business sedan EQE and the luxury sedan EQS. These fully electric vehicles from the Mercedes-EQ family are part of a transformation that’s gaining momentum rapidly.

Mercedes- EQS world premiere with Alicia Keys

Leading in electric drive and digitization is a key pillar of the Mercedes-Benz strategy that was announced by Mark Raine, newly appointed President of Mercedes-Benz Cars and Co-CEO of Mercedes-Benz South Africa.

The new strategy aims to leverage the brand’s strengths in the luxury space, while unlocking the full potential of its unique speciality brands, namely AMG, Maybach, and EQ.

From L-R : Selvin Govender, Vice-President of Sales and Marketing, Mark Raine, President of Mercedes-Benz Cars and Co-CEO of Mercedes-Benz South Africa

Market and network readiness

Raine is confident that South Africa will see a strong uptake and growth in the luxury electric vehicle market in the next 12-24 months. “Technology is the key to engineering a sustainable future. As the leading premium luxury automotive brand, we are once again leading the way into the future of the automobile and mobility as a whole”.

Raine announced that Mercedes-Benz Cars will collaborate with Grid Cars for public charging, and that every EQ customer will additionally receive a complimentary Mercedes-EQ wall charger, installed at a location of their choice.

Raine added that 36 of its Agent partners across South Africa have been appointed as Retail and Service partners for Mercedes-EQ, which will add to the public charging grid and also provide highly trained professionals both at sales and aftersales levels to help overcome any reservations around issues like range anxiety.

The new Mercedes-EQ range

Selvin Govender, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, stated that the “Mercedes-EQ range will provide benchmark performance for South African’s in the EV space. The EQ-design language of “sensual purity” combined with “progressive luxury” is highlighted by the specific exterior and interior design elements, and are completed by an EV-service ecosystem”.

EQA: all-electric dynamic sports SUV

The EQA is a dynamic, all-electric sport SUV. A close relation of the GLA, it delivers all the characteristics of that vehicle, combined with an efficient electric powertrain.

The EQA 250 derivative will be available for the South African market, with a power output of 140KW, a range of up to 412km (WLTP) and a combined electrical consumption of 17.7kWh/100km.

The EQB: all-electric family size SUV

The new EQB is an iconic electric SUV which incorporates the square forms of Mercedes-Benz off-roaders and projects them into the future. Whether it’s for a large nuclear family (7-Seat option available) or a small extended family, the new EQB offers space for many family configurations and a wide variety of transport needs. This gives it an exceptional position among compact electric cars.

This all-electric compact SUV will be available in the form of the EQB 350 4MATIC derivative. This all-wheel drive model offers a power output of 215KW, a range of up to 419km and a combined electrical consumption of 17.4kWh/100km.

EQC: all-electric mid-sized SUV

The EQC was the first car to be produced by Mercedes-Benz in the line of the new generation of the Mercedes-Benz EQ family with a battery electric drivetrain. It marked the start of the transfer of Mercedes-Benz towards future electric mobility.

This all-wheel drive model offers a power output of 300KW, a range of up to 437 km*(WLTP) and a combined electrical consumption of 21.3kWh/100km *(WLTP).

The EQE: all-electric business sedan

The new EQE offers all the essential functions of the range topping EQS in a slightly more compact format. The EQE’s interior dimensions even exceed those of today’s E-Class, carrying the concept of the business sedan into the future.

The EQS: all-electric luxury sedan

The first all-electric premium sedan from Mercedes-EQ, the EQS redefines the luxury vehicle segment. The innovative and holistic design is based on a new vehicle architecture which fuses technology, design, functionality and connectivity, delighting both drivers and passengers.

With ranges up to 780 kilometres and an output of up to 385 kW. The first models to come onto the market are the 245kW EQS 450+, with combined electrical consumption of 18.9-16.2 kWh/100 km.

We will share pricing and other details once it is made available to us

The new Mercedes-Benz C-Class is here and it offers a new kind of comfort

vuyi on December 15, 2021

By H&H Admin

A new type of comfort zone is here to challenge the status quo. The 6th generation C-Class boasts minimalist design, luxurious comfort and innovative assistance systems.

The new C-Class, which reaches local showrooms from December 2021, is manufactured in the Mercedes-Benz Cars plants in Bremen, Beijing and East London.

Mark Raine, Co- CEO for Mercedes-Benz South Africa and Executive Director for Mercedes-Benz Cars South Africa says the fact that East London is one of three global manufacturing plants for the new C-Class is a ‘massive success story’ for the local industry.

Mark Raine:Co- CEO for Mercedes-Benz South Africa and Executive Director for Mercedes-Benz Cars South Africa Image: Going Places/Malaysia Airlines

Bigger, better, sleeker

“The new C-Class is a sportive incarnation of luxury. It combines dynamic proportions with reduced design lines and sculptural surfaces. I have no doubt that the new C-Class will excite current and future customers with its wide range of high-tech features derived from the flagship S-Class”, said Mark Raine, Co- CEO for Mercedes-Benz South Africa and Executive Director for Mercedes-Benz Cars South Africa.

Considerably larger than its predecessor, with a length of 4751 mm and a width of 1820 mm, the wheelbase of the incoming C-Class has been increased by 25 mm to 2865 mm. It features a dynamic exterior design and a sumptuous interior that borrows heavily from the flagship S-Class.

“The new C-Class is being launched into the South Africa market initially with the C200 and C220d engine derivatives, both sporting four-cylinder units from the current modular FAME (Family of Modular Engines) Mercedes-Benz engine family,” said Selvin Govender, Director of Marketing and Sales for Mercedes-Benz Cars.

The C200 boasts power delivery of 150kw and 300Nm of torque, while the C220d delivers 147kw and 440Nm of Torque. The C220d achieves a combined fuel consumption of 4.6l/100km and the C200 achieves a combined fuel consumption of 6.6l/100km.

Govender added, “The C200 is also available at launch in a limited debut edition known as Edition 6, which has numerous visual accents which underlines its exclusivity. Edition 6 will be limited to 400 units.

Technical view at a glance:

		C 200	C 220 d
Displacement	cc	1496	1993
Output	kW	150	147
at	rpm	5800-6100	3600
Add. output (boost)	kW	15	15
Peak torque	Nm	300	440
at	rpm	1800-4000	1800-2800
Add. torque (boost)	Nm	200	200
Combined fuel consumption[1]	l/100 km	6.6-6.2	4.6-4.3
Acceleration 0-100 km/h	s	7.3	7.3
Top speed	km/h	246	245
Total fuel consumption WLTP	l/100 km	7.2-6.3	5.2-4.4
Retail Price		R849 000	R908 500

WATCH: New Mercedes-Benz C-Class Virtual Media Launch

vuyi on December 14, 2021

By H&H Admin

A new type of comfort zone is here to challenge the status quo. The 6th generation C-Class boasts minimalist design, luxurious comfort and innovative assistance systems.

End of an era : Mercedes-Benz Co-CEO Johannes Fritz bids farewell to South Africa

vuyi on September 13, 2021

Mercedes-Benz South Africa has announced that Co-CEO & Executive Director Mercedes-Benz Cars Johannes Fritz, who steered South Africa’s top-selling premium car brand since September 2017, will be moving back to Germany to head up Mercedes-Benz Cars & Vans in Bavaria – one of the largest sales regions in the German market.

Fritz will be succeeded by Mark Raine, who is currently Vice President of Product & Marketing at Mercedes-Benz Cars in Korea. The move is something of a homecoming for Raine, who grew up in Pretoria before joining Mercedes-Benz in Stuttgart in 2002.

Mark Raine, new Co-CEO & Executive Director Mercedes-Benz Cars-Benz South Africa

Raine has played a key role in driving the company’s digital transformation and further enhancing its brand value in the Korean market, while working to reduce complexity and improve the product portfolio. He previously worked in the company’s Middle East operation, before heading marketing and sales for Mercedes-Benz in Malaysia.

One of Raine’s main strategic objectives will be the successful introduction of the highly anticipated Mercedes-EQ range into the South African market from Q1 2022 onwards. To further drive the future-orientated transformation, essential strategic imperatives include to pursue sustainable sales growth by enhancing the digital e-commerce journey of Mercedes-Benz and its retail partners.