Mercedes-Benz executives pose for a photo at Auto Guangzhou 2013. From left: Henry Li, senior executive vice-president of network development at BMBS; Nicholas Speeks, president and CEO of BMBS; Hubertus Troska, member of the Daimler AG board and chairman and CEO of Daimler Greater China; Annette Winkler, global head of smart; and Fred Duan, executive vice-president of sales and marketing at BMBS. [Photo / China Daily]

Mercedes-Benz ended the year with a bang at the Guangzhou Auto Show, the industry's final major event of 2013.

In the vibrant Pearl River Delta, the "three-pointed star" shined with an unprecedented lineup of 13 new vehicles, four powertrain options and a continued commitment to environmental protection.

"In addition to our strong product offensive, we are the first automaker in China to offer a full range of powertrain options," said Fred Duan, the new executive vice-president for sales and marketing at Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales Service Co.

"With optimized petrol, diesel, hybrid and electric drives, we are giving our customers added flexibility and even more choices."

Those now include the E 400 L hybrid sedan, which had its official launch at Auto Guangzhou 2013 with a price tag of 798,000 yuan.

Henry Li, senior executive vice-president of network development at BMBS, said "Mercedes-Benz is committed to continuing developing together with China, and our deepening localization is crucial for achieving the objective".

"Today we celebrate a major milestone in this mission. With the launch of the E 400 L Mercedes-Benz is the first German premium automaker to produce a hybrid model here in China."

The model's powertrain combines a 3.5-liter V6 petrol engine with a 20-kW electric module to ensure outstanding performance as well as excellent fuel economy with an impressive combined fuel consumption of 6.9 L/100 km.

Equally impressive was the GLK 260 4MATIC, the first Mercedes-Benz vehicle with a locally produced engine.

"The GLK 260 ushers in a new era of 'Building Mercedes-Benz hearts in China' with the first Mercedes-Benz model equipped with an engine produced at our engine plant under Beijing Benz Automotive Co," said Duan.

Priced at 398,000 yuan, the GLK 260 4MATIC Dynamic is also the first four-cylinder model in the GLK family and the first GLK model under 400,000 yuan.

Its arrival in Guangzhou not only demonstrates the continued progress of Mercedes-Benz's local production capacity, but also raises expectations for the automaker's new local engine plant, according to company executives.

At the same time, the Guangzhou Auto Show marked the arrival on the China market of Mercedes-Benz's diesel engine. The technology, which made its debut on the GL 350 CDI 4MATIC and ML 350 CDI 4MATIC, offers higher torque combined with lower fuel consumption.

Even with a power output of 190 kW and a peak torque of 620 Nm, the ML 350 CDI 4MATIC only uses 7.6 liters for every 100 km, an excellent benchmark among luxury SUVs, said the company.

The new GL 350 CDI 4MATIC priced at 1.04 million yuan and the ML 350 CDI 4MATIC priced at 848,000 yuan further give Chinese customers more options than ever.

In addition to new diesel offerings, the Mercedes-Benz M-Class and GL-Class SUV families both saw comprehensive upgrades with an optimized petrol engine and enhanced specifications.

The new 3.0 L V6 bi-turbo petrol engine in both SUV model lines provides added horsepower, and specifically gives the ML 350 CDI 4MATIC a 12 percent reduction in fuel consumption when compared with its predecessor.

AMG and smart

AMG, the pinnacle of driving performance, also brought an impressive array of vehicles to Guangzhou, dazzling audiences with the brand new S 63 L AMG 4MATIC.

Launched at a price of 2.5 million yuan, the S 63 L AMG 4MATIC features strong performance in terms of power and fuel efficiency.

The urban lifestyle icon smart launched its long-anticipated third-generation smart electric drive - or smart ed - in China to make zero-emissions driving a reality.