The all new driving force under the bonnet

Mercedes-Benz gave people a chance to see the latest technical features that help create its cars at an R&D and Production TecDay before the German brand launched its latest model on Monday.

The event showcased the new C-Class long wheelbase and cutting-edge production facilities at the Beijing Benz Automotive Co Ltd plant in Beijing's Yizhuang Economic and Technological Development Zone. It followed hot on the heels of July's Design TecDay in Shanghai.

The new C-Class L was built at the automaker's BBAC plant and is the newest member of the growing Mercedes-Benz locally produced family. It is also the first vehicle produced since BAIC Group and Daimler AG signed their newest 10-year partnership late last year, showing the automaker's continued progress on the localization front.

"We continue to expand our local footprint and investments in localization remain our strongest assets," explained Hubertus Troska, member of the Board of Management Daimler and Chairman and CEO of Daimler Greater China Ltd.

"These investments will certainly continue in 2015 and beyond, testifying our commitment in partnership with both BAIC and China," he said.

Since it started the cooperation with BAIC Group nine years ago for local production, the company has ramped up investment in local infrastructure. Much of this has gone to the BBAC plant, which opened its doors in 2005 and now boasts state-of-the-art equipment, a range of advanced quality management processes and a world-class talent pool.

These include seven world-leading vehicle manufacturing technologies formerly reserved for the All New S-Class, such as "impAct", laser lap welding and automatic bonding. Each process ensures problem-free body assembly and gives the All New C-Class Long Wheelbase a precise, strong, lightweight and safe body.

To inspect the manufacturing process, Mercedes-Benz has introduced an integrated testing prototype from Germany known as 'CUBING' to turn the All New C-Class into a new standard for precision in China. This prototype, fully cast in aluminum alloy, is more stable than traditional resin-cast models and ensures that parts and components meet inspection with higher precision.

These tools were previously exclusive to Germany, but they were brought to China to build the new C-Class. They make the BBAC plant among the most advanced in China's automotive industry.

"And we are now investing more into a new body shop, while the new paint shop is under construction," said Frank Deiss, president and CEO of BBAC.

The BBAC production plant is set to become Daimler's largest plant outside Germany and it now produces the new E-Class, which was launched in July, the GLK-Class model range and the newly launched all new C-Class.

The plant has also become part of the automaker's larger supply chain due to its "unrivalled precision".

The BBAC plant has started to produce several key engine components - like the cylinder block, cylinder head and crankshaft. The parts are shipped to Mercedes' German plants to build engines there, further indicating BBAC's world-class production capability.

Many of these components have also been used to make the new C-Class, which, according to Deiss, brought together more than 1,500 parts from about 170 suppliers.

"That makes the localization rate of the all new C-Class increase to more than 60 percent, much higher than the previous generation. So we have already and will continue to focus more on management and quality control on the local suppliers," said Deiss.

The automaker was quick to note, the new C-Class was not simply made in China, it was also made for China.

"From the earliest stages of design, we considered the needs of Chinese consumers in order to give them the best product possible to meet their expectations," explained Nicholas Speeks, president and CEO of Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales Service Co Ltd.

"We can thus say with pride that the long wheelbase all new C-Class was not only designed and developed for China, but is now produced exclusively in China," he added. "The car clearly represents value for money, and will be a game changer in the segment."

As attendees quickly found out, the new C-Class long wheelbase reflects the tastes of Chinese customers inside and out. With two front-end options, a completely redesigned center console and an expanded rear passenger space, Mercedes-Benz went to great lengths to build a vehicle suited for local demands.

However, making the car "China ready" required extensive commitment to design, R&D and of course, testing.

Alongside its new BBAC plant, Daimler opened a new R&D facility last month - the largest of any Daimler joint venture worldwide. At the facility 3,000 professionals, 200 of whom trained overseas, worked on designing and building the new C-Class.

The advanced laboratories, an R&D prototype workshop and a newly built indoor test track also helped along the design process. They included a Vehicle Alignment Lab, which is the first of its kind opened by Daimler outside Europe.

Outside the lab, both local and international R&D teams worked to put the new car through its paces and conducted a grueling battery of maturity testing all over China.

In Heihe, Heilongjiang province, temperatures of 35-degrees below zero gave the new C-Class a taste of winter in China's Northeast, while 40-degree temperatures in Haikou introduced it to the sun, surf, and humidity of Hainan province. In the west the vehicle braved both the deserts of Turpan and altitudes of as high as 5,000 meters. Altogether the new C-Class accumulated a testing distance of more than 1.25 million km- enough to circle the world 30 times.

The all new C-Class is now ready for Chinese customers and set to prove that "C" truly stands for "China".

lifangfang@chinadaily.com.cn

The workers at BBAC assemble an All New C-Class.

The assembly line of the All New C-Class.