The SLK Class of two-seat roadsters provides a pop-top lid which stows in the trunk and three sophisticated powertrain options. SLK350 gets a 272 hp 3.5-liter V6 with variable camshaft control and a sporty six-speed manual shifter or seven-speed 7G-tronic Mercedes automatic. SLK 55 AMG is the top performer fitted with a massive AMG 5.5-liter V8 and 7G-tronic automatic plus alloy AMG wheels up to 18 inches in diameter. And new entry-edition SLK280 totes a 3.0-liter dual-cam V6 worth 228 hp.

A substantial list of standard safety equipment includes adaptive frontal air bags and side air bags plus solid steel roll bars tucked behind the seats. Options extend to a deluxe surround-sound audio system with 380-watt amp and 11 speakers. SLK puts a nifty feature focused on a rider's neck - the Airscarf neck-level heat vent concealed in the headrest.

Compact-size C Class cars by Mercedes consist strictly of four-door sedans for 2006. Top model is a powerful high-performance version crafted by AMG, but there's optional all-wheel-drive (AWD) equipment -- called 4Matic in Mercedes nomenclature with 40/60 percent front/rear torque split.

Mercedes compacts score a range of new twin-cam V6 engines in 2006. For C230 the 2.5-liter V6 delivers 201 hp; C280 employs a 3.0-liter V6 with 228 hp, but C350 gets the Mercedes 3.5-liter V6 for 268 hp. The C Class performance sedan, badged as the C55 AMG, has a hand-built AMG V8 that jumps to a speedy 362 hp.

Mid-size luxury cars from Mercedes include four-door sedans and five-door wagons with powertrains extending to a high-performance V8 and a turbo-diesel V6. E320 CDI is the diesel-powered sedan, available in 45 of the 50 United States. It totes a 3.2-liter in-line-six with common-rail direct injection (CDI) and turbo-charging. The plant produces 201 hp plus substantial torque, and fuel economy scores run well above 30 mpg for highway cruising.

The E320 becomes E350 in 2006 due to a new 3.5-liter twin-cam V6 added with 268 hp. 4Matic AWD equipment is available on E350 sedan and wagon or E500 sedan but is standard on E500 wagon. The E55 performance sports sedan totes the AMG V8 with supercharger and inter-cooler to deliver 469 hp. Active head restraints for front buckets appear on every E Class in '06, while E350 and E500 roll on new 17-inch wheels.

From a Mercedes assembly plant in Graz, Austria, the hand-crafted G Class wagon rolls out in limited numbers as a no-compromise off-road SUV capable of venturing far away from pavement where conventional 4WD vehicles dare not tread. G500 carries every mechanical armament -- a full-time 4WD system, traction control, vehicle stability system, three differential locks (center plus rear and front), anti-lock brakes and electronic brake force distribution (EBD) -- then flexes muscle from the Mercedes 5.0-liter V8.

Despite a rugged exterior design and the hardware of an ultimate off-road warrior, G500 has a cabin lined with luxurious appointments like leather-clad seats and trim in burl walnut wood. The G55 AMG performance variation carries an AMG-built 5.5-liter V8 with supercharging and inter-cooling to generate 469 hp. G500 Grand Edition also emerges with special badges in numbered issues.

This scissor-door supercar -- dubbed the SLR McLaren -- is based on a mono-coque structure made from ultra-stiff carbon-fiber composites and it carries a supercharged aluminum 5.4-liter V8 engine hand-built by Mercedes-Benz's performance gurus at AMG. The plant peaks at an incredible 617 hp as teamed with a five-speed Mercedes automatic with one-tap clutch-less TouchShift feature. Price tag's equally incredible (well over $400,000), but only a few issues will make it to the U.S. each year. (...BACK)