Mercedes-Benz Wins Two German Auto Club Awards

ADAC awards Two 'Yellow Angels' To Mercedes-Benz

STUTTGART - January 18, 2007: Today the German automobile club ADAC presented Mercedes-Benz with its "Yellow Engle" awards for being Germany’s best-performing automotive brand and for being the most innovative in the field of mobility. A representative survey by the market research institute TNS Infratest, in which Mercedes-Benz was recently and once again rated the most desirable car brand, serves to underline this accolade even more.

The "Yellow Angel 2007" awards, which derive their name from the nickname given by German motorists to the friendly ADAC breakdown crews, were presented in Munich today, in the presence of guests from industry and politics. The "Yellow Angels", which are awarded annually by the ADAC for outstanding performance, are among the most sought-after awards in the European automobile industry. Consumers appreciate them as useful yardsticks by which to judge brands and innovations in the mobility sector. Particular importance is attached to the ratings in the "Brand" category, where Mercedes-Benz takes first place this year. These are based on the quarterly results of the ADAC-AutoMarxX index, a brand index which compares the 33 most important car brands for Germany according to various criteria such as brand image, market strength, customer satisfaction and product quality. "Our objectives are demanding, but so are our customers, and rightly so", said Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of DaimlerChrysler, during the award ceremony. "We are therefore proud that their level of satisfaction has noticeably increased according to AutoMarxX."

In recent years the Stuttgart-based brand has achieved first place in the ADAC-AutoMarxX index a total of eight times. In the representative, annual surveys conducted by the automotive market researchers at the TNS Infratest institute in Bielefeld, Mercedes-Benz has now been voted the most desirable brand for the sixth time in succession. This shows the special esteem in which the Mercedes star is held.

New level of safety for trucks thanks to Active Brake Assist
In the "Innovation" category, the high-calibre jury consisting of ADAC committee members and representatives of industrial associations decided in favour of Active Brake Assist, with which Mercedes-Benz has defined a completely new level of safety for trucks. Active Brake Assist automatically initiates emergency braking if a collision with a vehicle travelling ahead appears unavoidable, thereby preventing rear-end collisions or mitigating their effects. The same aim is followed by the PRE-SAFEŽ Brake system, with which the Mercedes-Benz S-class and CL-Class are equipped. Last year DaimlerChrysler already took first place in the "Innovation" category with its BLUETEC technology, which helps to lower the emissions of diesel engines.

With around 15.7 million members, the ADAC is Europe’s largest automobile club. Its neutral research and test reports enjoy the highest level of credibility among consumers.