What's the news?
Mercedes Ireland has confirmed that it's embarking on a 'product offensive' for 2019, in the form of launching eight all-new cars and seven facelifts of existing models, during the course of the year.
That all kicks off in January, with the updated C-Class range (which we've tested in both standard and AMG forms), which is already in Ireland, but which gets its 'official' launch in the new year.
In February and March, the new offshoots of the A-Class's front-wheel-drive platform will arrive - the A-Class saloon and the B-Class MPV. You want more front-drive Merc action? You got it, because from April to June, we'll see the arrivals of the new CLA four-door 'coupe' and the CLA Shooting Brake sports estate (somewhat surprising, that, as the previous model was never a huge-seller).
If you're after something a little more traditional, the new GLE SUV arrives around the same time to take on the new BMW X5 and the Audi Q7. This time around it'll come with a seven-seat option, too, which should improve sales a bit.
OK, so maybe you fancy something that's properly ground-breaking. How about the new EQC? That's the first car from Mercedes' new all-electric sub-brand, and it's an SUV rival to the likes of the Audi e-tron and the Jaguar I-Pace.
July and September will see the arrival of the new GLS; that's a bigger, grander, more luxurious offshoot of the GLE and a rival to the 'full-fat' Range Rover. This time around, it will come with a max-lux Maybach variant. There'll be facelifts for the GLC and GLC Coupe at the same time.
In October, we'll get one of Merc's most anticipated new cars - the GLB. This will be a compact SUV, based on the B-Class platform, but which promises to bring the chunky, square-edged styling of the the famous G-Wagen (G-Class if you prefer) to a more affordable level. Perhaps it will assuage the pain of us not getting to buy the new (stylistically similar) Suzuki Jimny...
Aside from all the new models, the so-called 'NGCC' (New Generation Compact Cars - basically the A-Class and its other front-drive offshoots) models will be getting new tech options, including the voice-activated 'Hey Mercedes' app. It's tech such as that which has seen these compact, mostly front-drive models swell in popularity, and they now account for some 35 per cent of Mercedes' sales. Ciaran Allen, sales manager for Mercedes-Benz in Ireland says that number "is helped by the availability of attractive PCP and other low-interest finance options."