Mercedes-AMG GLA 35 4MATIC (Kraftstoffverbrauch kombiniert 7,5-7,4 l/100 km, CO2-Emissionen kombiniert 171-170 g/km) // Mercedes-AMG GLA 35 4MATIC (combined fuel consumption 7.5-7.4 l/100 km, combined CO2 emissions 171-170 g/km) Mercedes-Benz is updating its lineup with the introduction of the refreshed 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLA, the entry-level SUV in the brands successful family of SUVs.The new Mercedes-Benz GLA is ten centimetres taller than its predecessor, to offer more headroom for the driver and passenger; legroom has been improved in the rear as well.The rear seats can be moved fore and aft, and the bench is a 40-20-40 split-folding type.The front section of the GLA is upright, while the overhangs have been made shorter to allow for more off-road prowess, while simultaneously making it easier to park. The wheelbase has been lengthened to 2,729 millimetres, 30 more than the previous generation. Under the hood of the GLA is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine that makes 221 hp and 258 lb.-ft. of torque. Power is sent to either the front or all four wheels via a seven-speed automatic transmission.Opt for the AMG 35 version of the GLA, and that powerplant delivers 302 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. of torque. The transmission for the A35 is an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic, which helps it get to 100 km/h in just 5.1 seconds. Top speed is an electronically limited 250 km/h. All versions of the vehicle have a fun party trick carried over from the full-sized GLS called Car Wash Mode, which folds the mirrors and closes all the windows, including the sunroof, and also turns off the rain-sensing wipers so they arent triggered by the water.The GLA is set to arrive in Canada by summer of
Origin: Mercedes-Benz updates lineup with refreshed entry-level GLA
entry-level
Ferrari shelves plan for entry-level Dino model
Ferrari has no imminent plans for a modern-day Dino, although chief commercial officer Enrico Galliera has refused to rule it out entirely. When asked if the new Dino was dead, he said: “I would never use the word dead in the future strategy. (But) it’s certainly not something that we’re planning shortly.” A V6-powered, entry-level Dino was on the drawing board as recently as 2016. At the time, then-Ferrari boss Sergio Marchionne said both a reintroduction of the famous Dino name and a V6 engine were possible. The plans have since been shelved; Ferrari’s fifth model line instead became the SF90 Stradale, revealed earlier this year as the brand’s first plug-in hybrid. That launch was part of new boss Louis Camilleri’s revised strategy, in which 15 models will arrive by 2022, including the four already revealed this year: the F8 Tributo, SF90 Stradale, F8 Spider and 812 GTS. Rather than developing a new Dino, which would be the cheapest model in the line-up, Ferrari is instead choosing to focus on growth through new segments, especially higher-priced models, such as the SF90 Stradale. That car costs 25% more than the rest of the Ferrari range. Galliera said: “Our product line-up is basically trying to redesign our positioning, but we don’t feel there is a need for an entry-price (model) in our product range, and we plan to remain consistent with what we already declared we want to
Origin: Ferrari shelves plan for entry-level Dino model
‘Entry-level’ electrified Koenigsegg to debut in 2020
Christian von Koenigsegg in front of an Agera RS at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto.Supplied Koenigsegg is planning to release a budget volume model that will attract new customers to the brand, the company announced mid-May. The Swedish supercar-maker has already been working on the model for two years, but now thanks to an investment from NEVS (New Electric Vehicle Sweden) the development pace is being ramped up. NEVS is a Chinese-owned firm that currently produces a Saab-based EV. Weird, we know, but their £130-million ($233 million) investment will ensure a healthy production speed-up, so we’re happy. In trade for the investment, NEVS will get a 20-per cent stake in Koenigsegg’s parent company, which it wants to use to build a project targetting new and untapped segments.” The new vehicle will cost only £750,000 pounds ($1.3 million), which is sort of a bargain compared to the other monster vehicles the comapny builds, like the Regera, which is almost twice that price. Powering the next-generation supercar will be Koenigsegg’s trusty 5.0-litre V8 and two turbochargers, while also introducing some form of electrified drivetrain technology. The engine will feature Koenigsegg’s special FreeValve technology, which eliminates camshafts for better performance, as well as better economy and emissions, not that it matters in a supercar. More models may also be spawned from this new platform, but no details have been announced. This vehicle will see Koenigsegg increase production from just 18 cars per year to over 100, so it’s possible some RD could be allocated to the former home of Saab in Trollhättan. The vehicle will be revealed in 2020, and production is set to start soon
Origin: ‘Entry-level’ electrified Koenigsegg to debut in 2020
Lexus will replace the entry-level CT 200h, but we still won’t get it
The 2019 Lexus UX.Handout Lexus has confirmed that it is developing a new subcompact vehicle to slot in under the UX subcompact crossover in size and under the CT 200h in price. Entry-level, in other words. Autocar spoke with Head of Lexus Europe Pascal Ruch at the 2019 Geneva motor show, confirming that the company is planning an all-new vehicle to replace the CT 200h as the entry-level model for the brand. Sorry, let me clarify: to replace the CT 200h as the entry-level model for markets outside North America. Because Lexus pulled the CT 200h from its North American distribution a couple years ago, meaning the 2017 model year was the last that was sold new in Canada and the U.S. In other markets, the CT 200h will likely remain available through 2021, a full ten years after its 2011 introduction. Which is also when its replacement will probably arrive, in 2021, probably riding on Toyota’s TNGA platform. It’s yet unknown if the new Lexus will retain the hatchback shape of the CT 200h, or go with something more crossover-inspired. Either way, we’re jealous, because, again, we’re not getting it. At least, Lexus hasn’t said we’re getting it, and last we checked we were off the list. Lexus, if you’re listening, we’d love to be proved wrong.
Origin: Lexus will replace the entry-level CT 200h, but we still won’t get it
Lexus plots new entry-level compact for 2021
Lexus is developing a new entry-level compact model to replace the ageing CT 200h, according to the firm’s European boss. Plans to release a model that is smaller in size than the new UX SUV were confirmed by Pascal Ruch at the 2019 Geneva motor show, after UK boss Ewan Shepherd first hinted at such a car earlier this year. Despite being introduced back in 2011, the CT 200h is set to remain on sale for another two years. The new model is therefore expected to arrive in 2021 and will almost certainly be based on Toyota’s new TNGA platform, which should offer significantly better interior packaging than today’s car. What’s not clear yet, however, is whether Lexus will retain the CT 200h’s hatchback bodystyle or move to something more crossover-shaped. We know it will be offered with some form of electrification, and it’s possible that such a car could be Lexus’s long-awaited first EV. Ruch also claimed that Lexus is well-placed for the upcoming hybrid revolution, while at the same time revealing that petrol-electric models remain a significant minority of the brand’s global output. Despite Lexus being known in Europe as a hybrid brand, Ruch said that only 182,000 of its record global 2018 sales of 698,000 vehicles were petrol-electric. One reason for that was some restrictions on battery supply; another is that the big US market has a Lexus hybrid share of just 10%. The longer-term plan is for Lexus to move to a 50% hybrid production share globally, Ruch added. Europe is the biggest market for Lexus hybrid models, with petrol-electric cars accounting for more than 75% of the 76,000 sales. In the UK, Lexus sales are nearly 100% hybrid. The plan is for European sales to continue five years of growth and expand to 90,000 units in 2019 – assisted by the new UX compact crossover – and then 100,000 units in 2020. “Europe has a great strategic importance for Lexus because it’s seen as a leading region for technology and design,” Ruch said. “Our hybrid sales are highest in Europe, China and Japan will electrify (internal combustion engines) and the wider US market is really now starting with hybrids.” Ruch told Autocar that the Toyota group was leading the European market in terms of fleet CO2 and was “well on the way” to meeting the upcoming 2020/21 EU CO2 regulations. “We will be focusing on a core strategy of plug-in hybrids, some EVs and, eventually, fuel cell vehicles,” he said. Indeed, new figures from automotive analyst Jato Dynamics show that the Toyota brand posted a fleet average of 99g/km CO2 in 2018, beaten only by Tesla and Smart
Origin: Lexus plots new entry-level compact for 2021
News Roundup: Ford entry-level Mustang coming, new Brubaker Box in the works and more
2018 Ford Mustang GTNick Tragianis / Driving Welcome to our weekly round-up of the biggest breaking stories on Driving.ca from this past week. Get caught up and ready to get on with the weekend, because it’s hard keeping pace in a digital traffic jam. Here’s what you missed while you were away. Ford announces an ‘entry-level’ Mustang 2018 Ford Mustang Graeme Fletcher / Driving The new Ford Mustang’s base model is slated to have a V8 engine under the hood, but now it seems the car will be presented with a more approachable power plant as well. A promised ‘entry-level’ Mustang may put the 2.3-litre EcoBoost four-cylinder in the current model to use—that engine makes 350 horsepower in the Focus RS, so it’s tune-able enough. The other potential power source is the 3.7-litre V6 EcoBoost, which the brand hasn’t fit into its Mustang since 2015. Expect more details on the entry-level all-American sports car later this month. Woman leads police on high-speed chase because she’s ‘late for work’ There really aren’t that many legitimate reasons for engaging authorities in a high-speed vehicular chase. A passenger bleeding out in the back seat or a bomb-on-bus Speed type scenario may be the only two that will actually get you out of trouble. The excuse one woman recently gave Ohio highway patrol officers after leading them on a dangerous, life-threatening pursuit was less compelling. The pursuit began when they tried to pull her over for having tinted windows and ended only when her vehicle was sandwiched between a cruiser and a pole. When the vehicle finally stopped moving, the driver told authorities she hadn’t pulled over because she didn’t want to be late for work. How’s that for employee dedication? Cali company plans to bring back the Brubaker Box A Brubaker Box fibreglass kit car Brubaker Box Fans The Brubaker Box was created in the 1970s to give surfers something to take their boards to the beach in, and maybe a place to get changed out of their wetsuits afterward. Unfortunately, due to liability issues expressed by VW, which was providing the chassis, the chunky minivan-esque vehicle was never fully realized, though it was sold in kit form. Now, however, a duo of Cali-based entrepreneurs are lining up the Box’s comeback, with its original creator onboard and planning to recreate the vehicles from the ground up, complete with the sole sliding door and removable roof panel. Here’s hoping that comeback is swift and glorious. Future Toyota Tundra and Tacoma to share platform Toyota’s Tacoma and Tundra TRD Pro Derek McNaughton / Driving Word on the street is that Toyota is planning to underpin its two popular pickup products, the Tacoma and Tundra, with the same modular global platform. Despite the difference in stature between full-sized Tundra and mid-sized Tacoma, the so-called “F1” platform will allegedly be at the base of both. Toyota still has it in the workshop, but it’s expected to be used in the 2021 Tundra, so we’ll likely see it in some form later this year. Mercedes-Benz unveils the 2020 AMG CLA 35 The 2020 Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 4MATIC Handout / Mercedes-Benz Following hot on the heels of the announcement of the new Mercedes-AMG A 35, Mercedes-Benz has confirmed the impending arrival of a similar beast, the 2020 AMG CLA 35. Changes have been made to the car’s performance as well as its appearance. The new AMG-class CLA 35 will be powered by a 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder making 302 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. of torque, shooting the sedan to 96 km/h in 4.6 seconds. The front end, meanwhile, gets a modified grille with chrome trim and a pair of horizontal bars connecting to the brand logo in the centre, while the rear gets a diffuser and round exhaust outlets. The AMG CLA 35 will debut in full on April 16 in New
Origin: News Roundup: Ford entry-level Mustang coming, new Brubaker Box in the works and more
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