Mercedes-Benz Vision B and Vision R make Paris Debut

PARIS - This week at the Paris Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz is unveiling two innovative concept cars, offering a preview of all-new production models that will be launched in the United States in 2005. Both the Vision B and Vision R are the latest expressions of the Mercedes-Benz "Sports Tourer" concept - vehicles which offer impressive interior space, comfort and practicality with a sharp focus on safety, spirited performance and dynamic handling.

Each design study combines the advantages of a sports sedan, SUV and wagon in one versatile vehicle to create an entirely new automotive category. Both the Compact Sports Tourer Vision B and Grand Sports Tourer Vision R provide an unusually impressive combination of features -- the comfort and style of a luxury vehicle, the performance and handling of a fine sports sedan along with the versatility of an SUV. Innovative design and useful technology now make possible an automotive decathlete -- a vehicle that excels at an unprecedented range of owner needs without sacrificing aesthetics.

A front-mounted, transverse engine-transmission unit and an unusual double "sandwich" floor gives the bold Vision B the interior room and crashworthiness of a larger sedan or wagon -- nearly 70 percent of its body length is available for occupants and their luggage. The Paris show car is powered by a newly designed, super-clean four-cylinder diesel that can achieve more than 40 miles per gallon.

The Grand Sports Tourer Vision R incorporates three pairs of comfortable seats finished in leather in a spacious interior trimmed with aluminum and olive ash wood. The concept's single seats in both rear rows can be individually folded down, and the rear center console can be quickly and easily removed.

The Grand Sports Tourer Vision R show car also features a new-generation three-liter V6 diesel engine with CDI electronic fuel injection that produces 218 horsepower and, even more impressive, 376 lb.-ft. of torque - more than many V8 powerplants. For additional information on the Grand Sports Tourer Vision R concept, visit http://www.mbusa.com/grandsportstourer.