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Mercedes Pullman limo, C-Class Hybrid coming to Geneva

Mercedes-Benz is preparing to show the pinnacles of its engineering and luxury prowess at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show in March. Towering in physical size among these new vehicles is the long-awaited debut of the S-Class Pullman, according to Reuters. If you think the nearly $200,000 Mercedes-Maybach S600 (pictured above) is the ultimate in opulence available on Mercedes' flagship sedan, think again. The Pullman is the true top dog at a rumored 21-feet long and at a price of around $1 million for the armored version. Earlier patent photos suggest what this behemoth might look like. The driver reportedly sits in a partitioned cabin up front, and the plutocratic passengers are nestled in two facing rows of seats in the rest of the extremely long body. It's possible that Mercedes might not even build the Pullman in-house and leave the duty up to Brabus. However, there's also a rumor that the massive model might not be offered in the US. According to Reuters, the German company is also proving that it can be green by displaying the C-Class Plug-in Hybrid in Geneva. If Mercedes' display of luxury and efficiency don't strike your fancy, then the automaker is bringing some performance with its future Mercedes-AMG GT GT3 racer to the Swiss show.

Russia gives its Olympic medalists new Mercedes

Russian medalists at the recently concluded Sochi Winter Olympics are being rewarded quite handsomely for their service to the Motherland. In addition to the $120,000 being handed out for each gold medal, the $76,000 being awarded for slivers and $52,000 given to bronze winners, now word has come out that each of Russia's medalists will be gifted a new Mercedes-Benz.
As with the prize amounts, the type of Mercedes offered was based on what sort of medal was won. Gold medalists got a new GL-Class, silver medalists were given an ML and bronze medalists were treated to a GLK. As prices for Mercedes are higher in Russia, the cheapest model, the GLK, was the equivalent of $59,500, according to The Moscow Times. The cars were handed out by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, pictured above with figure skating medalist Julia Lipnitskaia.
"I was a bit shocked at the car I was given," Anton Shipulin, a member of the gold-medal biathlon relay team, told RIA-Novosti. "Of course I knew what kind of model it would be, but I didn't totally believe it." For athletes not old enough to drive, like 15-year-old Lipnitskaia, their Mercedes will come complete with a driver.

Mercedes dealers authorized to spend $2,500 on perks for S-Class customers

If you drop $100,000 on a luxury sedan, it seems only reasonable to receive some preferential treatment at the dealership you purchased from. After all, that price isn't just for the car - you're paying for the brand and all the cachet that entails. For Mercedes-Benz, those benefits have apparently been lacking relative to the German brand's luxury competitors.
That's set to change, though, as Automotive News reports that the German brand is placing a much greater emphasis on keeping its customers happy and loyal with its MB Select program. Starting with the new S-Class and spreading to the CLA-Class (and eventually beyond), dealers are being given money - up to $2,500 in the case of the flagship sedan - just to improve the customer experience.
We agree, improving the "customer experience" is quite a vague term, so it's nice that Mercedes USA's CEO, Steve Cannon, offered up some examples to AN at the LA Auto Show. For example, a customer couldn't fit his sunglasses into the overhead compartment. "So we bought him a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses that fit because of their shape," Cannon said.