We just installed our first iPad docking stations in a 2012 GL450! For this particular client we installed an iPad 2 dock behind the driver seat and an iPad 1 dock behind the passenger seat.

Here are the empty brackets. They are very slim and I hardly noticed them while I was driving the car.

iPads and USB charging cables are not included. The cables were $5.99 at my local Fry’s Home Electronics.

The iPads slide into the bracket so that the headphone jack, volume controls and plug line up with the openings in the bracket. The iPad 1 is fatter than the iPad 2 and will only fit in the specific iPad 1 bracket. The iPad 2 will fit in the bracket for the iPad 1 but is more stable in the bracket that is specific to the iPad 2/3.  

The iPads can be tilted up or down to adjust the viewing angle.

The brackets can be rotated vertically for reading.

Our first experience with the docking stations was great! The system was easy for the technicians to install, looks great in the vehicle and offers our customers another way to entertain back seat passengers! You can listen from the iPad out loud or through headphones. Also, vehicles with Bluetooth Audio Streaming should be able to pair to the iPads and stream through the vehicle sound system. Each docking station costs about $400 plus the cost of installation. That is a pretty good savings over the $1950 Rear-Seat Entertainment system, considering you can take these screens with you!

The second generation 2013 GL-Class is scheduled to arrive in the US in September. I am really excited about the new exterior and interior, the improved fuel economy and some of the new options! Everything is preliminary at the point and subject to change but here is what we know so far!

• GL350 Bluetec 4Matic – 240 hp, 455 lb/ft torque – 11% Better Fuel Economy – Arrives October 2012
• GL450 4Matic – 362 hp, 406 lb/ft torque – 13% Better Fuel Economy - Arrives September 2012
• GL550 4Matic – 429 hp, 516 lb/ft torque – 18% Better Fuel Economy! – Arrives September 2012

New Standard features:

• Rear view camera
• Power liftgate
• ATTENTION ASSIST
• COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
• Crosswind Stabilization
• AIRMATIC air suspension
• Adaptive Brake Technology with HOLD function, Brake drying, pre-charging, hill start assist
• Central Controller with NTG 4.5, 7-inch head unit display
• Manual EASY-ENTRY for both sides of 2nd row seat
• 115-volt outlet in 2nd row seat

Colors:

• Black
• White
• Cinnabar Red (Pictured below) (starting with July production)
• Obsidian Black
• Steel Grey
• Iriduium Silver
• Pearl Beige (starting with July production)
• Dakota Brown
• Diamond White (limited)
• Lunar Blue

Interior:

The interior of the new GL-Class is a big improvement. It looks plush and luxurious! The MB-Tex interiors are now perforated for comfort but still do not allow for Ventilated Seats. The Leather and designo interiors are not perforated unless Ventilated seats are ordered. The designo interiors are STUNNING! I am very impressed!

• GL350/GL450 – MB-Tex Standard, Leathers $1620, designo $4800
• GL550 – Leather Standard, designo $4100
• Black – MB-Tex and Leather
• Almond – MB-Tex and Leather
• Grey – MB-Tex and Leather
• Almond Beige/Black – Special Order Leather
• Grey/Black – Special Order Leather
• Auburn Brown/Black – Special Order Leather
• designo Porcelain with Dinamica Headliner
• designo Auburn Brown with Dinamica headliner
• designo Black with Dinamica Headliner

* Click on Thumbnail Images to enlarge *

Packages:

Premium1 Package: GL350/GL450 $3500, GL550 Standard

• COMAND with Hard-Drive Navigation
• Enhanced Voice Control
• 10 GB Music Register
• 6 CD/DAV changer
• SD Card Slot
• SiriusXM Radio, Traffic and Weather
• iPod/MP3 Media Interface Cable
• 10-way power passenger seat with 3 position memory
• Autodimming mirrors
• Power folding mirrors
• Power steering column
• Multi-Color Interior Ambient Lighting
• Front Illuminated Door Sills

Premium 2 Package: GL350/GL450 $5850, GL550 Standard

• All components of Premium 1 package
• harman/kardon LOGIC7 surround sound system
• Soft Close Doors (Like the S-Class!)
• Rear Lockable Storage Compartment
• Keyless-GO

Lighting Package: GL350/GL450 $1290, GL550 Standard

• Bi-Xenon Headlamps with Active Curve Illumination
• Adaptive High Beam Assist
• Headlamp Cleaning System

Appearance Package: GL450 only $1340

• 20″ Twin 5-spoke Wheels
• Chrome Exhaust Tips
• Illuminated Running Boards

On/Off Road Package: GL450/GL550 $2850

• Adaptive Damping System
• Front Underride Protection

Active Curve System: All $3950 (Limited Availability)

• Adaptive Damping System
• Roll Stabilization

3-Zone Automatic Climate Contol: GL350/GL450 $1450, GL550 Standard

• Rear AC control and additional vents
• Mist Sensor

Lane Tracking Package: GL350/GL450 $850, GL550 Standard

• Blind Spot Assist
• Lane Keeping Assist

Driver Assistance Package: GL350/GL450 $2950, GL550 $2100

• Distronic PLUS with Pre-safe Brake
• Active Blind Spot Assist
• Active Lane Keeping Assist

Parking Assist Package: GL350/GL450 $1290, GL550 $320 – Delayed Availability on All

• Parktronic with Active Parking Assist
• Surround View System

Options:

Parktronic with Active Park Assist – GL350/GL450 $970, GL550 Standard

Wood/Leather Steering Wheel – GL350/GL450 $590, GL550 Standard

Multi-contour driver/passenger seat with massage and comfort headrest – GL350/GL450 $1100, GL550 Standard

Heated/Ventilated front seats (requires leather) – GL350/GL450 $570, GL550 Standard

Panoramic Sunroof – GL350/GL450/GL550 $1090

Heated Steering Wheel – GL350/GL450/GL550 $225

Trailer Hitch (7500 lbs) – GL350/GL450/GL550 $550

20″ Twin 5-spoke wheel – GL350 Only – $750

Power Easy-Entry 2nd row (delayed) – GL350/GL450/GL550 $400

Illuminated Running Boards – GL350/GL450 $670, GL550 Standard

Rear Seat Entertainment – GL350/GL450/GL550 $1970

Rear Heated Seats – GL350/GL450/GL550 $620

Keyless-Go – GL350/GL450 $650, GL550 Standard

Special Order Options:

Adamptive Damping System – GL350/GL450 $800, GL550 Standard

2nd Row Seat Pass-through – GL350/GL450/GL550 $160

Rear Sunshades – GL350/GL450/GL550 $380

Night View Assist Plus (requires lighting package) – GL350/GL450/GL550 $1780

Bang & Olufson Sound System – GL350/GL450/GL550 $6400

MB-Tex wrapped lower dash – GL350/GL450/GL550 $300

Black headliner (only for black MB tex and leather) – $0

The first GL450s and GL550s have been scheduled for production. Order now to make sure you get the options and colors you want! The vehicles should arrive in early September.

The 2013 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class will debut this week at the NY International Auto Show. These preview pictures have recently hit the internet and I can’t resist posting them…It looks great! All of the details for colors, packages and options are not yet available but I we will see new colors (Cinnabar Red) and new features (power folding second row, panoramic roof). More details when they come available!

Mercedes-Benz USA officially released the 2012 Bluetec versions of the R350 and GL350 over the weekend. 400 lb/ft of torque and great fuel economy…a winning combination!

A new cargo liner has been made availabe for the GL-Class through Mercedes-Benz. It solves the problem of how to protect the area behind the third row AND behind the second row with the third row folded flat! Until now I have been using the ML-Class cargo liner, which is a little too short, and just folding it in half to put the third row up. It worked well until you needed the third row and the storage behind it. This mat simply velcros to the carpet at the top and bottom and folds as you raise the seats. It allows access to all of the tie down points and allows you to raise the seats individually. Perfect! You can order it from your local parts department.

GL-Class Foldable Cargo Liner – Part # BQ6750038 - MSRP $145  

Here are some pictures of the new Dakota Brown metallic paint, color code 796. This is on a new 2012 GL450 with the cashmere interior. Dakota Brown is also available on the M-Class and the R-Class for 2012. This color is much lighter than the Cuprite Brown that I have seen on the sedans. It has a lot of gold in the sun. I would call it Tobacco Brown if I were being descriptive.

It is an exctiting time for Mercedes-Benz! We have lots of new engines, technology and vehicles for the 2012 model year. Here is a quick rundown.

2012 C-Class Sedan – C350/C300/C63 August/C250 October

• Facelifted – more than 2000 new parts!
• C250 with 1.8L inline 4-cylinder direct injected, turbocharged engine with 201 horsepower
• C350 with 3.5L direct injected V6 with 302 horsepower
• New standard equipment including automatic transmission, rain sensing wipers, auto dimming mirrors, garage door opener, compass, HD radio, Bluetooth audio streaming, ATTENTION ASSIST amd adaptive brakes with HOLD function
• New paint and upholstery options
• Parktronic available
• New Lane tracking Package
• LED daytime running lights standard fro both sport and luxury models
• Color instrument cluster
• Media Interface relocated to center console
• Updated version of 7-speed transmission which provides better fuel economy

2012 C-Class Coupe – C350/C63 September/C250 October

• Same redesigned interior and improved standard features as the C-Class Sedan
• Standard Panoramic Sunroof
• Steering Wheel Shift Paddles
• 10-way power driver seat with memory
• Split folding rear seats
• Unique wheel 

2012 CL-Class – August

• New colors – Lunar Blue and Andorite Grey
• New 19″ AMG triple 5-spoke wheel

2012 CLS-Class – CLS550/CLS63 June/ CLS550 4matic August

• All-New bi-turbo engines with direct injection 402 or 518 hp
• World’s first fully-active all LED headlamps
• Electromechanical steering system
• Standard sport body styling
• Standard Navigation, Pemium sound and SiriusXM

2012 E-Class Sedan – October

• New direct injected engines – V6 with 302 hp and V8 with 402 hp
• New wheels and steering wheels for some models
• Wood/Leather steering wheel now availabel for both sport and luxury models
• New Lane Tracking package
• LED running lights for both sport and luxury
• Color instrument cluster
• Media Interface relocated to center console
• Updated version of 7-speed transmission which provides better fuel economy

2012 E-Class Wagon – October

• The E63 AMG wagon is coming!

2012 E-Class Coupe – E350 July/E550 October

• New direct injected engines – V6 with 302 hp and V8 with 402 hp
• LED daytime running lights standard
• New wheel for E350
• New interior colors – Red/Black and Natural Beige/Black leathers
• New Lane Tracking Package
• Standard shift paddles
• Color instrument cluster
• Media Interface relocated to center console
• Electromechanical steering on V8

2012 E-Class Cabriolet – E350 July/E550 October

• New direct injected engines – V6 with 302 hp and V8 with 402 hp
• LED daytime running lights standard
• New wheel for E350
• New interior colors – Red/Black and Natural Beige/Black leathers
• New Lane Tracking Package
• Standard shift paddles
• Color instrument cluster
• Media Interface relocated to center console
• Electromechanical steering on V8
• New Red soft top option

2012 GL-Class – GL450/GL 550 August/ GL350 October

• Acoustic Signal when locking/unlocking
• Improved Rearview camera software
• New ESP off icon
• New garage-door opener concept (multicolor LEDs)
• New paint colors – Dakota Brown & Pearl Beige
• New rear chrome trim for rear control panels

2012 GLK-Class – July

• Acoustic Signal when locking/unlocking
• Improved Rearview camera software
• new ESP off icon
• New garage-door opener concept (multicolor LEDs)
• Media Interfact port moves to center console
• New 20″ 5-spoke wheel with Appearance Package
• New Colors – Lunar Blue, Sapphire Grey, Diamond White & Cuprite Brown
• Keyless-Go is reduced to $640 

2012 ML-Class – ML350s September/ ML550/ML63 2012

• All New! Same Price! See previous posts for details

2012 R-Class – R350 gas August/R350 Bluetec October

• New direct injected V6 with 302 hp
• Acoustic Signal when locking/unlocking
• Improved Rearview camera software
• new ESP off icon
• New garage-door opener concept (multicolor LEDs)

2012 G-Class – October

• Edition Select Package available. See previous post for details

2012 S-Class – July/S350 September

• New direct injected V8 with 402 hp means no Gas Guzzler tax
• The S350 Bluetec arrives with an estimated 20 city/ 31 highway MPG
• New colors – Lunar Blue and Andorite Grey
• The Sport Package gets a new 19″ AMG triple 5-spoke wheel

2012 SL-Class – July

• Premium 1 Package now standard
• Limited production in anticipation for the all-new 2013

2012 SLK-Class – SLK350 July/SLK250 2012

• All new for 2012
• New direct injected V6 with 302 hp
• Updated NTG 4.5 is amazing technology for nav and music
• See previous posts for more details

2012 AMG

• C63 AMG coupe arrives
• E63 returnes with 5.5 litre biturbo with 518 hp and 25% better fuel economy
• CLS63 AMG debuted in the spring
• SLS AMG roadster arrives

This is a great time to be a Mercedes-Benz enthusiast!

2011 Mercedes GL550

2011 GL550

2010 GL550

2010 GL550

2011 Mercedes GL550

2011 Mercedes GL550

2011 Mercedes GL550

2011 Mercedes GL550

2011 Mercedes GL550

2011 Mercedes GL550

My first 2011 GL550 arrived yesterday. It looks great! This was a very subtle refresh…can you see the differences on the front bumper? This particular GL550 was also ordered with the new Illumination Kit for the Side Running Boards, the Accessory Chrome Package and Rear Seat Entertainment.

Here are some of the changes that are coming to the 2011 models.

C-Class

• Sport sedans now feature LED Daytime Running Lamps and black headlamp inlays
• Enhanced P1 package includes split folding rear seat and rear sunshade
• Heated Seats removed from Premium 1 Package
• New Lighting Package with Bi-Xenons and active curve illumination
• New standard 17” wheel for C350 sport

CL-Class

• Refresh! New bumpers, hood, fenders, grille, headlamps, and taillights
• LED daytime running lights standard
• Driver Assist Package updated with Active Blind Spot Assist and Active Lane Keeping Assist
• New standard 18” wheel
• Magnetite Black exterior color added (black base with metallic flake)
• Sahara Beige/Black interior color added

CLS-Class

• Sport body styling, sport steering wheel and 18” AMG wheels now standard

E-Class

• Bluetec arrives in late summer with 17” run-flats, sport or luxury
• Active Blind Spot Assist and Active Lane Keeping Assist added to Driver Assist Package in E350/E550 sedans
• E63 gets alcantara headliner and stitched dash as standard
• Diamond White available starting in October production
• Wagon is standard with rear view camera and power liftgate
• Coupe gets new 18” AMG wheel in Appearance Package
• Cabriolet introduced with AIRCAP, AIRSCARF and trunk pass through

SUV Family

• New Mirror Design
• Blind Spot Assist Available (not on GLK)
• New Rear View Monitor reduces fish-eye effect
• Compass in rear view mirror – M/GL/R
• Diamond White paint available in October (not GLK)
• Barolo Red and Sand Beige discontinued (M/GL/R)

GL-Class

• GL550 gets a facelift
• New head restraints in 2^nd and 3^rd row
• Passenger seat memory added to P1

GLK-Class

• Driver Knee and front passenger airbags added as standard (9 total)
• LED daytime running lamps in lighting package
• Eco mode replaces Comfort mode
• Pearl Beige paint replaces Sand Beige paint

G-Class

• New wheel design
• Night Black paint added (matte)
• Tail lamp covers and turn signal covers deleted

M-Class

• LED daytime running lamps with bi-xenon headlamps
• ML63 gets new hood and headlights

R-Class

• Refresh!
• New from the A-pillar forward – fenders, grille, hood, bumpers, LEDs
• New 19” wheel
• New LED tail lamps
• New Rear bumper
• New seat design

S-Class

• S63 gets all-new 5.5 litre direct injection bi-turbo V8
• Contrast stitching with Premium and Exclusive upholstery
• Active Blind Spot Assist and Active Lane Keeping Assist added to Driver Assist Package
• Optional Bang & Olufsen BeoSound surround-souns system with 15 speakers, 1200 watts and 16-channel digital signal processing
• Magnetite Black exterior color added (black base with metallic flake)
• Sahara Beige/Black interior color added

SLK-Class

• Sport Body Cladding added as standard
• Quartz Blue paint added
• No SLK55 AMG