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All New 2020 Mercedes Benz GLE350 4MATIC Review

This week, we’re taking a look at the all-new from the ground up, 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE 350. This is the fourth generation SUV that started out as the M-Class.

My review vehicle is the 4Matic, which means it is all-wheel drive, and you can also get a GLE 450 with a larger engine. This 2020 model is 3-inches longer than the previous version, and for the first time, you can get a 3rd row seat.

Exterior
I like the exterior looks of the GLE, it has a bold new grille, large tires, and wheels that sit out to the corners of the vehicle, broad rear shoulders, and a sleek rear end with dual exhaust and a spoiler.

Performance
Under the hood is a 2-liter 4-cylinder turbo that is putting out 255-horses. It is hooked to a 9-speed automatic transmission.

Interior
As you would expect, like all Benz models, the real story is the luxurious interior and a wide range of amenities.

A rich interior welcomes you immediately when you open the door. Then you see the center console that features cool grab handles in a triangular form that are super comfortable to leave your arm on when driving.

Hit the pushbutton start button and two 12” color displays light up across the dash. Behind the wheel is the configurable driver info center and to the right is the MBUX infotainment system that operates everything.
You can operate the infotainment system from a touchpad on the center console, or use it as a touch screen. The touchpad takes a LOT of getting used to, and I’m still not comfortable with it, even after a week. I found using the touchscreen to be easier and less distracting.

Four big air vents are a center dash, and below that are air conditioning controls, a wireless cell phone charger, and a switch to change the drive modes. My favorite, of course, is the Sport mode, it gives this SUV a lot of low-end torque.

All interior surfaces are soft, with nice stitching everywhere you look, and at night, ambient lighting runs across the dash into the doors, and you can choose from 64 colors.

Utility
I found the back seat room to be larger than I expected and I love that both backseat occupants can control their own temperature. There are power shades on both back windows, and there is a huge amount of cargo area.

Technology
This SUV comes extremely loaded with everything you can imagine including a moonroof, power liftgate, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. It has a huge head-up display with speed sign recognition.

The GLE has a great voice recognition system. Much like you ask Siri or Alexa a question on your phone, all you say is: Mercedes and give your command or ask a question. If you are talking to someone or on your phone and say the word Mercedes in conversation, she WILL interrupt you.

Features
The GLE 350 has incredible massaging heated and air-conditioned seats and it has Energizing Comfort that combines the climate control, air fragrance, ambient lighting, audio, and massaging driver and passenger seats. You can select from 10-minute programs with cabin lighting and pre-selected music.

Verdict
The GLE drives like a dream are full of safety features and overall is just a joy all around.

Pricing and Availability
The GLE 350 is now available from ImportRates, the base price is $57,200 and the fuel economy seems really good.

China slashes tariffs on US auto imports!

Hong Kong (CNN Business)

China said Friday it will temporarily reduce tariffs on imports of American-made cars as it tries to negotiate a trade deal with the United States.

Citing the meeting earlier this month between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the Chinese Finance Ministry said in a statement that it will remove the additional 25% tariffs on car imports from the United States for three months starting January 1. That will bring China’s tariffs on American-made cars to 15%, in line with those for cars made in other countries.
China also said it would suspend its 5% tariff on 67 other auto parts.
China imposed the additional tariffs on US cars in July and on some auto parts in September as part of its retaliation in the trade war between the two countries.
At their meeting in Argentina, Trump and Xi agreed to a temporary truce while they try to negotiate a broad trade deal over the next 90 days.

In its statement Friday, the Finance Ministry described the decision to remove the tariffs as a “concrete action” aimed at helping to bring about a “mutually beneficial new Sino-US trade order.”

Xi pledged in April that China would cut tariffs on imported cars this year. His government delivered on that promise in July, reducing import taxes from 25% to 15%.
But just days later, China imposed new additional tariffs of 25% on American-made passenger vehicles as the trade war with the United States escalated.
The tariffs hurt profits of major automakers that ship cars to China from the United States. Germany’s BMW and Daimler, the owner of Mercedes-Benz, have been hit particularly hard. Shares of BMW (BMWYY) and Daimler (DDAIF) both trimmed early Friday losses on the news.
The stocks had spiked last week after Trump tweeted that China was going to cut auto tariffs.

General Motors (GM) and some other automakers already have a large presence in China through partnerships with local manufacturers. It has become the largest and most important market for the American auto industry. Because their plants are in the country, they weren’t subject to big import taxes.
Yet China’s tariffs have hurt exports from US auto plants. The value of US passenger car exports to China has fallen by $2.4 billion, or 30%, over the course of the first nine months of the year.
Part of that could be because of slowing Chinese auto sales. Yet overall sales of American cars in China -— including those made in China — are down only about 1% so far this year.

Eric Cheung and David Goldman contributed to this report.

CNN Hongkong Business

https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/14/business/china-us-auto-tariffs/index.html

2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class SUV

When SUV meets Luxury Limo the GL meets S-Class! With the brand new GLS which is the latest Mercedes-Benz SUV will complete the SUV lineup for Mercedes-Benz. Currently you have the entry models GLA and GLC and the classic GLE, which used to be the M-Class in the past, the GLS is the flagship of its class. The 2017 GLS-Class combines the benefits of a GL-Class with the luxurious driving experience of an S-Class.

There are four different engines to choose from, the entry model being the GLS 350d 4MATIC, a 3.0l V6 diesel with 258 hp and 620 Nm of torque and three twin-turbo petrol engines with direct fuel injection: GLS 400 4MATIC, a 3.0l V6 with 333 hp and 480 tq. GLS 500 4MATIC, a 4.7l V8 with 455 hp and 700 tq. GLS 63 4MATIC, a 5.5l V8 with 585 hp and 760 tq.

Interior

The interior is as luxurious as you would expect it to be from a car on par with the S-class. With seven full-fledged seats that provide ample space, even in the very back or a massive load capacity of 81 cubic feet and maximum load compartment length of over 6.5ft when you fold the back seats, the car provides enough space for a big family week away. The 3-spoke multi-function steering wheel in Nappa leather with heating has been revised and modernized as well as the instrument panel. A new ionisation system further enhances the air quality inside the cabin.

Exterior

Outside, the GLS is slightly revised compared to the GL-Class. The bumpers and slimmed-down headlights more closely resemble the 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS’s smaller SUV’s such as the GLE &GLC, also the LED taillights are now standard for the 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS. Other than that the 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS retains a lot of the GL-Classes features on the outside. For the 2017 GLS550 owners you can opt for a Sport package that gives the car a bit more aggressive look, but of course not as much as the top of the line AMG GLS63 which will feature a massive engine.

Overview

The 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS combines excellent off-road capabilities – some might argue it is even better off road than its bigger brother the G-wagon but with more comfort and luxury on the road. Its size alone makes it the ideal choice for large families and despite its size and weight of the 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS it is surprisingly easy to handle.

2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class

What’s New for the 2016 Land Rover Range Rover

– The 2016 Land Rover Range Rover Sport gets a new 3.0-liter V6 diesel engine.

Three years after a significant overhaul that included a new, lightweight aluminum chassis, the 2016 Land Rover Range Rover Sport broadens the iconic luxury SUV’s appeal with an optional diesel engine.

Land Rover says the 3.0-liter diesel will deliver 25 mpg combined — a 32% improvement over the standard gasoline V6 engine — and 28 mpg on the highway. The new powertrain is poised to be the deal-maker with luxury shoppers who need to haul toys and play off-road, but don’t want to sacrifice fuel economy to get there.

The trade-off? Speed. The diesel-equipped Range Rover will be slower to hustle its mass than its gasoline counterparts. The diesel will be available on both the standard Range Rover and the Range Rover Sport.

What Features Will It Have? 
For now, the diesel-powered 2016 Range Rover Sport will be offered in only the standard-wheelbase HSE trim level, which comes with 20-inch wheels, a sliding panoramic sunroof, heated and cooled leather seats with 14-way adjustments and heated rear seats.

Just like the rest of the lineup of Range Rovers, the diesel model comes standard with 4WD and the Terrain Response traction system (which optimizes engine, transmission, braking and suspension systems depending on conditions).

Like its gasoline counterpart, the Sport model focuses more on city and highway comfort rather than all-out off-road ability. A torque-vectoring electronic differential and adaptive suspension give the Sport model more handling prowess than a standard Range Rover, but it still offers a Jeep-like 8.4″  of ground clearance and it can wade in water nearly 3 feet deep!

What’s Under the Hood?

The 2016 Range Rover Sport will offer a 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel engine, in addition to its current gasoline V6 and V8 options. The new diesel is rated at 254 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque. The diesel engine’s grunt peaks at just 1,750 rpm, which should deliver impressive low-end thrust on initial acceleration, during tricky off-road maneuvers, or when towing a large load.

Land Rover hasn’t announced whether the new diesel improves the SUV’s maximum tow rating of 7,716 pounds, but it will put the “range” in Range Rover, as Land Rover says the new diesel is capable of traveling 658 miles on a single tank.

An eight-speed automatic transmission is the only gearbox available, and it offers Normal, Sport and Manual shift modes, Four-wheel drive is also standard.

Land Rover claims the diesel Range Rover will accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 7.4 seconds. That’s fairly slow for a full-size luxury SUV, but not unexpected from an engine with relatively low top-end horsepower. The Sport model can do the same dash in 7.1 seconds.

Added insulation to motor mounts, the windshield and engine compartment should help quell the typical worries about diesel engines noise, vibration, and deliver standard levels of Range Rover refinement.

How Much is it?
The 2016 Land Rover Range Rover Sport will be available at dealers this fall. The diesel option should boost the big Rover’s sticker price to around $91,000, while the Sport should start at around $71,000.

When it comes to flat-out luxury, there isn’t much that compares to the Range Rover. But that doesn’t mean it’s the only game around. The Porsche Cayenne Diesel delivers similar power and luxury creature comforts, but raises the quotient of on-road fun and performance. There’s also the Mercedes-Benz GL350 Bluetec, which while not as capable as the Range Rover or Porsche, delivers high class and offers adult-sized three-row seating.

Rivals to the Range Rover Sport include the Mercedes-Benz ML250 Bluetec (smaller engine and output, but 25 mpg combined and cheaper) and BMW X5 xDrive35d.

 

New Porsche Macan poised to be a hot-seller

 

Springtime in Europe usually means a driving enthusiast’s thoughts turns to sports cars. This year’s Geneva Motor Show had plenty of those, but the burgeoning small crossover segment was also front and centre at this year’s Swiss event, with debuts of small utility vehicles popping up from one end of the Palexpo’s exhibition halles to the other. One automaker counting on this relatively new segment for substantial growth is Germany’s preeminent sports car maker: Porsche.

Although Porsche’s headline unveilings in Geneva were its new 24 Hours of LeMans 919 Hybrid LMP1 and 911 RSR racecars, the automaker is also in the midst of launching its second crossover production model — the four-door, five-passenger, all-wheel-drive Macan. As a smaller rendition of its popular mid-sized Cayenne, the compact Macan is being counted on for never-seen-before sales growth from the Volkswagen Group’s sports car brand. And based on Porsche’s recent sales success, the odds are in the Macan’s favour to accomplish its mission.

Just last year, Porsche saw its global sales rise by 15 per cent, to a record 162,145 vehicles sold. With the new Macan set to go on-sale around the world later this year, Porsche’s board member for sales and marketing, Bernhard Maier, is feeling good that the brand will continue its meteoric sales growth.

“We are looking ahead to the coming year with optimism and are anticipating new growth with the Macan and the new variants of the 911,” Maier said during an interview with Driving in Geneva.

Maier’s optimism is well founded. Utility vehicles have become a big part of the sales mix for any automaker; even one that’s built its brand on the back of sports cars. The Cayenne — that shares a platform with the Audi Q7 and Volkswagen Touareg — adds over half of all Porsche’s sales and profits, and ostensibly pays for the development of the niche 911 variants that otherwise may not be built. The Macan — that was developed off the Audi Q5 chassis — is expected to help with Porsche’s profits in a similar manner.

(In Canada, initially there will be the 340 horsepower, $54,300 Macan S and the 400 hp $82,200 Macan Turbo — about 25% less than comparably equipped Cayenne models.)

As the Macan seeks customers in the already crowded luxury compact crossover segment, with the likes of the Acura RDX, Audi Q5, BMW X3, Lexus RX and Mercedes-Benz GLK, Porsche is anticipating selling 50,000 copies on an annual basis, pushing its overall sales well past the 200,000 annual rate for the first time ever. While that sounds ambitious for a company that some may still only think of as a low-volume sports car maker, the fact is that Porsche has been on this growth path since the arrival of the Cayenne over a decade ago.

Maier, appointed to Porsche’s Board of Management in 2010 as its head of sales and marketing, seems like the right person in the right place to shepherd Porsche’s continuing sales growth.

Unlike some automotive executives, Maier’s been a “car guy” his whole life, first completing his training as a car mechanic and then, after obtaining his full qualification as a master mechanic, studying business management in Germany. In 2001, Maier joined Porsche, where he successfully managed the automaker’s German sales subsidiary, overseeing the successful introduction of two groundbreaking new models: the Cayenne in 2002 and the Panamera Gran Turismo sports sedan seven years later.

Beyond jumping into a market that Porsche has never been in before, the Macan will also affect the automaker’s sales and marketing strategies. Maier says Porsche expects younger buyers with the Macan, many of which will also be new to the brand. As such, the Porsche executive says, more than ever, Porsche will use social media to market to these new customers. As well, the entire Porsche dealer network is preparing for the added sales and servicing volumes with upgraded facilities and practices. Despite the changes, Maier says to expect the same type of intimate sales atmosphere from Porsche dealers as in the past.

“Regardless of our expected sales growth, we will deliver the same type of boutique sales experience we always have,” Maier says.

While there have been rumours that Porsche will also add an entry-level sports car below the Boxster/Cayman and a crossover smaller than the Macan to its lineup, Maier quashed those ideas speaking to Automotive News earlier this year at the Detroit auto show.

“We’ve decided not to build a roadster below the Boxster [and] we will not offer an SUV below the Macan because it will not be a perfect fit,” he said. “We have a lot of ideas and a lot of opportunities. But whatever we do has to clearly fit with the brand.”

New Mercedes-Benz GLA 45 AMG Brings High-Performance to Compact SUVs

What Mercedes-Benz called a concept at last November’s LA Auto Show is being fashioned as the new limited production GLA 45 AMG Edition 1 at this week’s Detroit motor show where the series is making its world premiere.
The white colored Edition 1 with the flashy red and silver livery maintains the regular GLA 45 AMG’s 2.0-liter turbocharged four with 355hp (360PS) and 450Nm (332 lb-ft), connected to an AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7-speed sports dual clutch transmission and the AMG Performance 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system, adding styling and aero mods.

Among other things you get with this package is a high-gloss black Aerodynamics kit with larger front splitter, additional flics in the front fascia, and rear airfoil, silver gray/red AMG racing stripes complemented by red highlights on radiator grille, exterior mirrors, diffuser insert and rear wing. The Edition 1 rides on special 20-inch alloy wheels mounted on 235/40 R 20 tires all-round.

Exterior color options for this model are restricted to four options, the cirrus white seen on the display car, cosmos black, polar silver and mountain gray, while the interior is finished in red and black, with exclusive trims.

Both the base GLA 45 AMG and the Edition 1 will go on sale in the USA in the fall of 2014 with prices to be announced.