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Report: Mercedes GLA to arrive in early 2014

Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Crossover, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

Mercedes-Benz GLA spy shot - front three-quarter view, disguised

Mercedes-Benz will be expanding its crossover range with the addition of the new GLA-Class, a prototype of which we recently spied inside and out. Now, Auto Express reports that the small CUV will go on sale in early 2014 following its public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show this September.

When the GLA arrives, Auto Express expects it to command roughly 5,000 British pounds more than its A-Class hatchback platform mate (seen in the US market as the CLA-Class sedan), for a starting price of around 20,370 pounds, or about $31,000 based on current exchange rates. Of course, that’s all purely speculative at this point, but since the CLA starts at just under $30,000 here in the States, an entry point of somewhere between $30-35k for the GLA doesn’t sound too far off.

The GLA will compete directly with the Audi Q3 and BMW X1, and when it arrives in the States, we expect it to use the same 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine as the CLA. Both front- and 4Matic all-wheel-drive models are expected to be offered, and a hotter GLA45 AMG version will follow later on. We should have the full details when the GLA is unveiled next month, if not sooner, so stay tuned.

Mercedes GLA to arrive in early 2014 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Breaking: 2014 Mazda3 breaks cover early, in Euro-spec at least [UPDATE]

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Europe, Hatchback, Mazda, Diesel

2014 Mazda3 - front three-quarter dynamic view

We’re set to get a closer look at the US-spec 2014 Mazda3 later today, but AutoExpress has the first peek at the machine’s European cousin (after initial leaks reportedly came from a Czech outlet). The photos show a compact that’s taken plenty of design inspiration from its older sister, the Mazda6. That’s excellent news, as the larger car’s dynamic front fascia, accentuated fender arches and long nose translate well to the Mazda3. Inside, there are are new and improved material choices, and the longer wheelbase means occupants get to enjoy more room than before. There’s also a larger trunk with 12.3 cubic feet of cargo capacity.

Buyers in the EU can get their hands on a 1.5-liter Skyactiv-G gasoline engine with 99 horsepower, though the old 2.0-liter four-cylinder will still be available in either 118 hp or 163 hp configuration. A 2.2-liter diesel tops out the engine choices.

The 2014 Mazda3 is lighter than its predecessor and boasts disc brakes and a multi-link rear suspension on every trim. That means this thing should be fun to shuffle around. Stay tuned for details on the US-spec variant later today, including a lot more images of the good-looking hatch.

UPDATE: We’ve just received word from Mazda that the photos seen here do, in fact, show the global Mazda3, and not merely a European version. So the good-looking hatch in our gallery is one that you can look forward to in your dealership before too long. Expect to see full US specs, and even more images of the 3, later today.

2014 Mazda3 breaks cover early, in Euro-spec at least [UPDATE] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Jun 2013 09:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Chrysler to idle three plants early for summer shutdown due to parts shortage

Filed under: SUV, Truck, Plants/Manufacturing, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep

2011 dodge ram tradesman

2011 Ram 1500 Tradesman – Click above for high-res image gallery

Other than the temporary shut down of General Motors’ Shreveport, Louisiana plant and the loss of some paint colors, domestic automakers haven’t yet felt the brunt of parts shortages due to the March 11 earthquake in Japan. According to a report from The Detroit Free Press, that changes shortly for Chrysler. Spokeswoman Jodi Tinson tells the Freep that three plants will idle earlier than expected in an effort to “conserve parts from suppliers impacted by the situation in Japan.”

Chrysler’s Warren Truck plant, which builds the Ram 1500 and Dakota, and Toledo North, which builds the Jeep Liberty and Dodge Nitro, will both shut down for the weeks of June 20 and June 27. The original plan was for the plants to go idle for the weeks of July 11 and July 18. The Toledo Supplier Park, which builds the Jeep Wrangler, will shut down for the week of June 20 instead of the week of July 11.

A fourth facility in Saltillo, Mexico, which builds Ram models from the base 1500 through the heavy-duty 5500, will also lose overtime on May 20, May 27, June 10 and June 24. In a move that is likely to annoy the United Auto Workers, Chrysler is also dropping the plants’ planned week of downtime.

At this point, it is unclear if Chrysler will endure more downtime as a result of parts shortages, but it appears that Team Pentastar has more than enough supplies of key vehicles to keep dealers happy for weeks if problems persist.

Chrysler to idle three plants early for summer shutdown due to parts shortage originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 May 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class hatches a bit early

Filed under: Concept Cars, Hatchback, Mercedes-Benz, Design/Style

2012 mercedes-benz a-class

2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class revealed – Click above for high-res image gallery

You’re looking at what appear to be the patent images for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class. The images found their way into Belgian automotive site AutoScoop.be, and you can peruse them in the gallery below.

We expected the car to ditch most of the concept-crazy before it winds up in dealer showrooms. The version seen here does stick to the overall form of the concept, minus the hypnotic grille and several of the deep creases found all over the conceptual car’s body.

What we’re left with is a car that’s clearly a Mercedes-Benz, but not particularly far from the hatchback standard. Bits of CLS can be found in the curving roof-line and that familiar MB mug is staring you down front and center. We’re excited to see this hatch (expect CUV and sedan variants as well) in the flesh at an auto show later this year.

2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class hatches a bit early originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 May 2011 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Need For Speed gives an early peak at The Run

Filed under: Videos

need for speed the run debut trailer

Need For Speed: The Run Debut Trailer – Click above to watch the video after the jump

If you’re getting bored of the racing games that are relegated to the track, the Need For Speed franchise is hoping to grab your attention with The Run. The new game, which doesn’t hit stores until November 15, promises to mix hot rides with a healthy dose of drama. The premise is simple: The gamer will need to make their way across the country while bad guys and the law chases them all the while. In other words, its kind of like Smokey and the Bandit meets Fast and Furious, perhaps with a touch of Grand Theft Auto.

Hit the jump to watch the first trailer for the upcoming game. The clip is short and it doesn’t reveal much, but we did catch a glimpse of an Audi R8, a Porsche Cayenne, a Mustang and even a Ford Taurus Police Interceptor. That’s not a lot to go on, but the post-jump press release says gamers will “blow across borders, weave through dense urban traffic, rocket down icy mountain passes and navigate narrow canyons at breakneck speeds.” Sounds like it could be fun.

[Source: Electronic Arts]

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Need For Speed gives an early peak at The Run originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Renesas Electronics to restart automotive microchip production early

Filed under: Japan, Plants/Manufacturing, Honda, Nissan, Toyota

Renesas Japan’s Renesas Electronics Corp. is moving up the restart date for automotive microchip production at its last inactive plant. The company says it should have operations back up and running at its Naka plant the week of June 15, a couple weeks earlier than its original estimate.

Renesas is the world’s largest supplier of chips for cars, and is a major kink in the parts supply line for Japanese automakers. The Naka plant was damaged in the March earthquake, and will be Renesas’ last facility to resume production.

The plant will operate on a limited schedule at first, building around 3,000 200-millimeter wafers a month, down from a pre-earthquake total of almost 34,000. To compensate, the company has shifted some production burden from Naka to its other manufacturing plants. For now, Renesas is focused on getting any production restarted, but should know by mid-May when it can resume at full capacity. Read the press release after the jump.

[Source: Renesas via Automotive News | Image: Renesas Electronics Corporation]

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Report: Renesas Electronics to restart automotive microchip production early originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 23 Apr 2011 14:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR could test fuel injection as early as July

Filed under: Motorsports, Technology

Chances are that just about every car you’ve ever owned featured some form of fuel injection, but the long-standard engine tech remains foreign territory in NASCAR. The sport has used carburetors since the racing series began in 1949, but that looks set to change later this year.

NASCAR reports on its website that fuel injection testing could happen as soon as July 7 at Kentucky Speedway. The date has been singled out due to the fact that this is the first time the Cup Series has raced there, and NASCAR has given racing teams an extra four hours of testing on the Thursday before the race.

Danny Lawrence, chief engine builder for Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines, is hoping NASCAR comes up with specifications so the teams can prepare, adding “I know they’re working on it really hard, and hopefully, they’ll have it figured out in a few days.”

NASCAR is working with McLaren and Freescale Semiconductor to develop and manufacture engine control units to manage fuel and ignition systems. A wiring harness has reportedly already been developed, and the fuel-injector specification will be the next step. Teams are still wondering at this point if they’ll receive a specification for the fuel injection system or if NASCAR will provide systems that everyone must use. Hat tip to Pawager!

[Source: NASCAR | Image: Todd Warshaw/Getty]

NASCAR could test fuel injection as early as July originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 BMW 6 Series Coupe gets early unveiling ahead of Shanghai

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, BMW, Shanghai Motor Show, Luxury

2012 BMW 6 Series Coupe

2012 BMW 6 Series Coupe – Click above for high-res image gallery

BMW has just given us an early preview of the 2012 6 Series Coupe in Munich ahead of its debut at the Shanghai Motor Show, and as you’d expect, the all-new hardtop 6er simply adds a fixed roof and a Hofmeister Kink to the cabrio we sampled earlier this year.

Head designer Karim Habib tells Autoblog that he drew most of his inspiration from BMW’s iconic 3.0 CS produced in the late 60s and early 70s – particularly the elongated wheelbase, endless hood and upright, sharknose grille that just so happens to conform to the EU’s pedestrian impact standards. The fascia benefits from full LED headlamps and triple-element foglamps (optional on both the coupe and cabrio), along with lower, wider kidney grilles that – when compared to the 7 Series’ vertical slats – come off as less pinstripe-like and more aggressive; toothy, even.

Underneath that expansive hood lies BMW’s twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8, producing 400 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque – identical to its drop-top sibling. An eight-speed automatic gearbox shuttles power to the rear wheels, allowing the coupe to hit 60 mph in 4.8 seconds before topping out at the electronically limited top speed of 155 mph.

According to BMW officials, the cabrio was introduced before the coupe because it makes up 60 percent of 6 Series volume in the U.S., the 6er’s largest market. BMW hasn’t released an official curb weight for the coupe, but it has confirmed that it will be lighter than its 4,500-pound convertible brethren. Sales are set to begin this Fall and should command slightly less than the cab’s $90,000 point of entry.

Gallery: 2012 BMW 6 Series Coupe

Gallery: 2012 BMW 6 Series coupe

2012 BMW 6 Series coupe

2012 BMW 6 Series Coupe gets early unveiling ahead of Shanghai originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Smart ForTwo Electric Drive to go on sale in early 2012

Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Hatchback, Smart, Electric

Smart Fortwo Electric Drive

Smart ED – Click above for high-res image gallery

The second-generation Smart Fortwo Electric Drive (ED) is a limited (250 units available in the U.S.) test program model that Daimler will use to gauge consumer interest in battery-powered vehicles. Leasing the electrified Fortwo is costly, with payments ringing in at $599 a month for 48 months, plus $2,500 due at signing. Technically, the 2011 Smart ED is offered under the lease-only plan detailed above, but the automaker has listed its MSRP at $44,387.

Truth be told, we’re not shocked by the Smart ED’s lofty sticker price, nor are we put off by its astronomical lease rate. You see, this Fortwo ED is a limited run model and not a production electric vehicle.

But come January of 2012, the third-generation Fortwo electric, a production model, should hit the streets. By then, we’d hope that the automaker adjusts its pricing structure and offers the pint-sized electric at a more reasonable rate and, according to a report on Kicking Tires, a price drop seems to be part of Smart’s plans.

Lessees of the second-gen Fortwo ED will be eligible to upgrade to Smart’s electrified third-gen Fortwo when it hits the market and, unlike the automaker’s current battery-powered hatch, the upcoming model will be offered for both lease and purchase.

Gallery: Smart ED

[Source: Kicking Tires]

Smart ForTwo Electric Drive to go on sale in early 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Treasury aims to sell GM shares early

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, GM

According to The Detroit News, the United States Treasury Department is planning on quickly eliminating its shares of General Motors stock rather than trying to maximize the government’s return on its investment. The news comes from Austan Goolsbee, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors, who said that the government is interested in quickly shedding its 33 percent stake in the automaker due to the fact that it never wanted to be a shareholder in the automaker to begin with. The Detroit News reports that if the Treasury Department decided to sell its stake in GM at its current trading price, the government would lose something on the order of $10 billion.

That’s out of the $49.5 billion bailout that GM received from the government.

GM shares are currently trading at their lowest levels since the company went public, thanks largely to an overall market dip. The drop came even with GM reporting its first profit since 2004.

The Detroit News reports that so far, the federal government has reclaimed $23.1 billion of its investment in GM, and that in order to recuperate the $26.4 billion, GM stock would need to trade at $53 per share. The company is trading at $33.02 at the time of this writing.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Treasury aims to sell GM shares early originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Feb 2011 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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