It's a feast of letters — and luxury cars — as Mercedes-Benz reveal a batch of new models at the Geneva Motor Show: the SL-Class, SLK, CLC, CL, and CLS.

SL-Class

The roadster has been refined, improved and developed further with a new, sportier exterior design complementing the more agile handling (thanks to a new direct-steer system), boosted safety and improved comfort.

The enhanced front-end design, for example, features a wide arrow-shaped radiator grille, with a horizontal louvre adding visual width.

Two new six-cylinder engines will round off the SL range from early 2008: the SL 280 develops 170kW, while the SL 350 is powered by a newly developed 3.5-litre engine pumping out 232kW (a 16 percent increase) and 360Nm (10Nm more). This mill accelerates the new 350 from standstill to 100km/h in 6.2 seconds, making it 0.4 seconds faster than the previous incarnation. At 9.9 litres per 100 kilometres, the SL 350 is 0.4 litres more economical (NEDC) than the preceding model with 200 kW.

The flagship models in this series continue to be the SL 500 with a V8 engine and the twelve-cylinder SL 600. Their engines consume up to 0.4 litres less fuel per 100 kilometres than before.

The SL consolidates its safety spec with bi-xenon headlamps and the optional "Intelligent Light System", whose lighting functions are designed for typical driving situations. One new onboard feature is the Airscarf neck-level heating system, which improves comfort when driving with the top down.

SLK-Class

Following a comprehensive model facelift, the most important visual changes include a redesigned front and rear end, as well as a tweaked interior with a new instrument cluster and three-spoke sports steering wheel.

The V6 sports engine from the SL-Class has been transferred to the new SLK 350, where it develops an output of 224kW at 6500rpm — 24kW more than the six-cylinder unit in the previous SLK 350. Torque has also been increased by 10Nm, and is now 360Nm at 4900rpm.

Combined consumption with the six-speed manual transmission is now 9.5 litres per 100km, which represents a remarkable reduction in fuel consumption by 1.1 litres per 100km.

In addition to the SLK 350, the four-cylinder SLK 200 Kompressor and the six-cylinder SLK 280 remain available in the compact roadster range: the output of the supercharged four-cylinder engine has increased by 15kW to 135kW, while fuel consumption has been lowered by one litre to 7.7 litres per 100km. The fuel consumption of the SLK 280 (170kW) has been reduced by 0.4 litres to 9.3 litres per 100 kilometres. The SLK 55 AMG continues to be powered by the familiar 5.5-litre V8 engine developing 265 kW.

The designers have given a sportier touch to the visual appearance of the two-seater, including the newly designed front bumper, which now has differently distributed cooling air apertures and a more pronounced arrow shape. The rear end has also been restyled; the diffuser-look lower section now makes the roadster appear more muscular from the rear. Trapezoidal exhaust tailpipes and dark-tinted tail lights do more to accentuate this impression. The exterior mirrors now have LED indicator repeaters with a pronounced arrow shape, and also have a larger lens area.

CLC

The entry model for the Stuttgart brand's Coupé family, the new CLC features more than 1100 newly developed or improved components. The front and rear ends have been completely newly designed. With its coupé radiator grille, which has a large Mercedes star at its centre, as well as the new projection-beam headlamps, the Sports Coupé follows the modern Mercedes design idiom. The newly designed boot lid conceals a luggage compartment with a capacity of up to 1100 litres. The new tail lights, the long row of LEDs forming the third brake light and the rear bumper subdivide the rear end and accentuate its width.

The interior features sports seats with further improved lateral support, a three-spoke multifunction steering wheel, automatic climate control and brushed aluminium trim as standard equipment.

A sports package includes extras such as 18-inch light-alloy wheels, wide-base tyres, headlamps with a black-tinted interior frame, a lowered sports suspension, a leather sports steering wheel and tinted aluminium trim. Another special feature, adopted from racing sports cars, is the instrument cluster, which has red needles in the speedometer and rev counter. When the ignition is switched on, both needles spin right around the scale once then return to their starting position.

Another standard feature of the sports package is the new direct-steer system, which further enhances the handling and safety. This new development is based on the speed-sensitive steering system, and also has an additional, variable rack ratio which responds to the steering angle.

The new CLC is available with a choice of four four-cylinder and two six-cylinder engines developing outputs from 90kW to 200kW. With its turbodiesel engine the CLC 200 CDI is happy with 5.8 to 6.1 litres per 100km (up to 10.8 percent less than the preceding modelP. The CDI models are capable of a range exceeding 1000 kilometres with one tankful (62 litres). The 135kW power unit of the CLC 200 KOMPRESSOR now has 15kW more output, and consumes 7.8 to 8.2 litres per 100 kilometres (NEDC) — up to 0.7 litres less than before.

CLS

The four-door CLS Coupé has also received visual fine-tuning. The front aspect is dominated by a modified radiator grille, which now has two rather than the previous four louvres. The exterior mirrors also have a new shape, with integrated, arrow-shaped LED indicator repeaters and more than 30 percent larger lenses. The tail lights are now also in LED technology.

The updated interior gets a newly designed leather steering wheel with three spokes and multifunction buttons, and a new-look instrument cluster with white dial faces that contrast the backplate. New chestnut wood inserts replace the previous trim.

Like the SL, SLK and CLC, the CLS benefits from new-generation infotainment systems. Features include speed-sensitive volume control, a keypad for entering telephone numbers and radio frequencies, an MP3-capable CD and DVD player and a Bluetooth interface which wirelessly connects a mobile phone with the onboard hands-free system.

Audio 20, Audio 20 CD with CD changer, Audio 50 and Audio 50 APS with DVD changer and the Linguatronic voice-control system now feature a 5.0-inch colour monitor. Comand APS has a 6.5-inch colour display, Linguatronic for audio, navigation and telephony, a music register for storing audio files and an SD memory card slot.

As the new entry-level model, the CLS 280 features a 2996cc V6 engine with a maximum output of 170kW and a maximum torque of 300Nm. Its combined fuel consumption is 9.8 to 10.0 litres per 100 kilometres. The second V6 petrol model is the CLS 350 CGI with a six-cylinder engine featuring piezo-electric direct injection and a spray-guided combustion. It develops an output of 215kW and has fuel consumption of 9.1 to 9.3 litres per 100 kilometres.

The CLS 500 is powered by a V8 engine with a displacement of 5.5 litres and a peak output of 285kW. The CLS 320 CDI with its 165kW V6 diesel engine produces torque of 540Nm, accompanied by a diesel fuel consumption of 7.6 to 8.1 litres per 100 kilometres.

All CLS models are equipped with the 7G-Tronic seven-speed automatic transmission as standard.

CL

The Mercedes Coupé family continues to be headed by the CL-Class, comprising the CL 500, CL 600, CL 63 AMG and CL 65 AMG. The new CL 500 4MATIC with permanent all-wheel drive, arrives in Europe from mid 2008. This two-door model is equipped with a 285kW V8 engine, and in addition to 4Matic it features innovations such as the Intelligent Light System and the preventive occupant protection system Pre-Safe as standard.

Mercedes-Benz has further improved the all-wheel drive system, and uses the latest-generation system in the CL 500 4Matic — the one that has already proved successful in the S-Class. 4Matic is permanently active and so needs no response time to assist the driver in infavourable weather and driving conditions.

The combined fuel consumption of the CL 500 4MATIC is a claimed 12.1 litres per 100km, which puts it at the same level as the CL 500 with rear-wheel drive. The CL 500 4Matic needs 5.4 seconds to accelerate from zero to 100km/h, and reaches an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h.