Mercedes-Benz USA Ranks #12 on FORTUNE's '100 Best Companies to Work For'

Third Consecutive Year On List - MBUSA Jumps from #15 to #12

 

 

MONTVALE, N.J., Jan. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) announced today that for the third consecutive year, it has been ranked one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" by FORTUNE magazine in its 15th annual survey which appears in the February 12th issue of FORTUNE, available on newsstands on Monday, January 23rd, and now at fortune.com/bestcompanies. In its third year as an entrant, MBUSA's 2012 ranking of No. 12, (up from) No. 15 last year, is the sole automaker on the list and No. 4 among small organizations with less than 2,500 associates.

 

"In 2011 we celebrated several milestones not the least of which was the sales momentum of all three brands - Mercedes-Benz, Sprinter and smart -- which led us to our highest year on record and set the stage for us to take MBUSA to new places in the years ahead," stated Steve Cannon, President and CEO, MBUSA. "But what's particularly gratifying is to know that - whatever the circumstances, whether challenge or opportunity - the team here at MBUSA feels that this is one of the best places to work, not only in the industry but across the entire U.S."

To pick the 100 Best Companies to Work For, FORTUNE partners with the Great Place to Work Institute to conduct the most extensive employee survey in corporate America; 280 firms participated in this year's survey. More than 246,000 employees at those companies responded to a survey created by the institute, a global research and consulting firm operating in 45 countries around the world. Two-thirds of a company's score is based on the results of the institute's Trust Index survey, which is sent to a random sample of employees from each company. The survey asks questions related to their attitudes about management's credibility, job satisfaction, and camaraderie. The other third is based on responses to the institute's Culture Audit, which includes detailed questions about pay and benefit programs and a series of open-ended questions about hiring practices, methods of internal communication, training, recognition programs, and diversity efforts. After evaluations are completed, if news about a company comes to light that may significantly damage employees' faith in management, we may exclude it from the list. Any company that is at least five years old and has more than 1,000 U.S. employees is eligible. For information on how to apply, visit www.greatplacetowork.com

Source:marketwatch.com

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We Hear: Mercedes-Benz Will Make a GLK Diesel for the U.S.

Diesel engines and German sport-utility vehicles might go together like Root Beer and vanilla ice cream for some, but there are still quite a few of them that don’t offer oil-burners underhood. Make that one less: Mercedes will reportedly sell a diesel GLK in the States by the end of the year.

That engine will be different from the one currently doing duty in American Mercedes-Benz diesels, which is a 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 diesel. The new one is reportedly a four-cylinder model; although there’s no confirmation of exactly how much power it will produce, the new E300 Bluetec Hybrid sedan does have a 2.2-liter turbodiesel I-4 making 204 horsepower under the hood. Keep in mind, however, that the E300 isn’t destined for the States, so it’s still anyone’s call.

This would be the smallest overall offering to wear the three-pointed star and burn diesel fuel. The GL and ML SUVs have seen some success with Bluetec diesel variants–it’s been reported that nearly 30 percent of GLs are GL350 Bluetecs–and Mercedes also offers the engine in the R, S, and E-Class models.

The diesel GLK–which will also benefit from a mid-cycle refresh–will make its way to dealers sometime this fall, which looks like it should fend off competition from Audi, which is reportedly working on a diesel Q5. At current, BMW hasn’t announced any plans to make a diesel X3 for the U.S., only that it “wouldn’t rule it out.” Considering that a third of X5s sold are oil burners and the GLK’s diesel variant is predicted to push sales dramatically up (from roughly 24,000 this year to 30,000 next year), it might not be such a bad idea.

Source: motortrend.com

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Mercedes-Benz introduces the Smart For-us concept, the E400 hybrid, the E300 BlueTEC hybrid and the new 2013 SL.

The dash of luxury: Hands on with Mercedes’ new Mbrace 2 in-car connectivity

Mercedes' new Mbrace 2 in-dash system brings a host of updates, including features like navigating directly to your friends using a simple text message, access to Google Street View, and more.

Mercedes may be better known for timeless styling, brawny engines and leather-appointed interiors than cutting edge in-dash technology within its cars, but don’t declare victory just yet, Ford: The Germans are not asleep at the wheel. On Monday, the auto manufacturer unveiled Mbrace 2 at CES 2012, the next generation of its in-car navigation and entertainment system. We had a chance to go hands on with the system before it makes its way into wood-paneled dashes across the globe, and while it won’t put Mercedes at the cutting edge of in-dash technology, it adds a number of crucial improvements to the original Mbrace.

The most significant of those crucial improvements is the addition of apps, of which there will be seven at launch, including Facebook, Yelp, and an open browser. The integrated iPhone app also returns, with some new features like the ability to chirp the horn and flash the lights from its faux keypad (apparently a highly requested feature from absent-minded owners who need a little help finding their Benzes in the Crate & Barrel parking lot).

Mbrace 2 apps are filed away in a fairly standard carousel configuration, which you can roll through quickly with a control knob. Yes, a knob. Unlike touch-happy competitors like Cadillac’s Cue and MyFord Touch, Mbrace still relies on an old-school knob you can use to quickly flick through options, then press the center to select. Mercedes seems to have rationalized keeping this rather anachronistic system because previous owners are already familiar with it, but we still can’t see the harm with adding touch as a secondary – and very intuitive – way to interact with the system.

Although Mbrace 2 uses a fairly high resolution screen, the yellow-themed interface is conservative, bordering on dated, and moves around with the sluggishness you would expect from a 399MHz ARM processor. That much is excusable, but text input via a dial is not something even the most diehard Mercedes fan will likely relish. Fortunately, the accompanying smartphone app saves some of the trouble by allowing you to input addresses via the phone then zip them off to the car.

Interface aside, there are actually some cool features buried here. A “digital journal” can log your driving automatically and spit back stats on average speed, distance, and other tidbits. After selecting a destination, you can jump into Google Street View – an easier way to see where you’re headed than envisioning it from a map. With the Drive2Friend feature of the smartphone app, you can plug in a friend’s telephone number to send them a text, which, if they reply to with a “Y,” will send their GPS coordinates to your car and spool up directions automatically. Impressive.

The Mbrace 2 has CMDA 3G access built right in, so the system has been designed for seamless over-the-air updates. In the future, Mercedes told us, these could unlock a number of cool features. For example, since Mbrace 2 can actually communicate with other systems in the car, like the engine computer, Mercedes could release an update with improved engine timing to get better gas mileage. Or tell you when you need to change your oil. Or patch a software glitch that would otherwise require a visit to a dealership.

The 2013 Mercedes SL class will be the first to offer Mbrace 2 when it comes out in April, but all future 2013 vehicles will offer it standard.

Source: digitaltrends.com

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