What's the news?
Mercedes is getting ready for the upcoming Geneva motor show, and we already know some of the cars that the German giant will be showing off there.
The new A-Class, revealed last month, is arguably the most important model, and it is set to change the boundaries for hatchback interior design with its new all-digital cabin layout. Then there's the facelifted C-Class, which like the A-Class will be on sale in Ireland in the summer (in coupe and cabriolet form - you'll have to wait till September for the new saloon and estate).
The new G-Class (we still call it G-Wagen) will be there too, showing off its looks-the-same-but-different-underneath styling, its AMG V8 and diesel engines, and its also-stylish new interior. If you're looking for a car genuinely built like a Swiss bomb shelter, this is the one for you.
However, the most interesting Mercedes newcomer will be the four-door GT Coupe. Not quite a four-door version of the existing two-door GT Coupe, but very closely mechanically related, it will be Mercedes' rival for the Porsche Panamera.
Most strikingly, the car will come with a new hybrid AMG powertrain that combines V8 petrol power and plugin electrical architecture for a combined (are you sitting down?) 800hp. Allegedly. Apparently, the electric motor is basically lifted from the AMG Project One hypercar, and it uses a very compact, very efficient battery pack, inspired by the brand's work in Formula One. The car should have a 50km electric-only range, and it's possible that Mercedes is working on versions with lower power outputs and shorter electric-only ranges.
The existing 605hp 4.0-litre turbo V8 engine will also be offered in the car, and it will come with four-wheel drive, as does the related E-Class saloon, and new CLS four-door coupe.