MERCEDES-BENZ. MERCEDES-BENZ in AUSTRIA

Magna Steyr Fahrzeugtechnik AG, Liebenauer Hauptstrasse 317, 8041 Graz, Austria

tel. +43316/4040, fax +43316/401322, http://www.mercedes-benz.at,

http://www.magnasteyr.com

MERCEDES-BENZ G

Models produced in Austria: G (cabrio, station wagon, pick-up), E sedan, E4 Matic (sedan, station wagon).

Production volume in Austria in 2003 -30,776 vehicles.

In 1935 three companies: Steyr (producer of passenger cars in the years 1920-41 and 1949-76), Puch (producer of passenger cars in 1900, 1904, 1906-23, 1928-29 and 1979-2000) and Austro Daimler (producer of limousines in 1899-1934) joined forces

to create the Steyr-Daimler-Puch concern. In 1998 it was taken over by Magna. In March 2001 Steyr-Daimler-Puch changed its name to Magna Steyr. Steyr has been manufacturing the Mercedes-Benz G since 1979, which in the years 1979-2000 was also released under the brand name Puch. The car is available in the following versions: a 2-door, 4-seat cabrio; a 3-door, 4-seat short-bodied station wagon; a 4-door, 5-seat station wagon or, since 2001, a long-bodied 8-seat, 5-door station wagon. Its new body, modernized in 1989, comes with a selection of five engines: a CDI 2.7-liter 156 hp unit (model G 270 CDI, 463 series, since 2001), a 3.2-liter 215 hp V6 unit (model G 320 V6, 463 series), a V8 5.0-liter 296 hp unit (model G 500 V8, 463 series), a CDI 4.0-liter 250 hp plant (model G 400 CDI, 463 series, since 2000) and a V8 5.4-liter 476 hp unit (model G55 AMG K, since 2004). Apart from that, the company's assortment still includes the 461 series model G with the old body from 1979 in the G 270 CDI Green Line version (CDI 2.7-liter 156 hp). Also the Mercedes-Benz E-Class with a 4x4 powertrain has been manufactured only in Austria since 1996, although most components come from Germany. Since June 2003 the new sedan E 4 Matic has come off the assembly line in the Graz facility, where front suspension and 4x4 powertrain components are produced. Then the body is remodeled, sprayed and, finally assembled. In 2000 the production of the sedan E 4x2 was launched and since 2003 it has been released in its current form.