march 25, 2015

 

Mercedes-Benz. Editor-in-Chief"s Note: Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz - the German luxury brand - has announced that they will build the first Mercedes-Benz pickup truck by 2020, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. The 1-ton truck will be built by its commercial van division and aimed at the Australian, European, Latin American and South African markets, initially. "The Mercedes-Benz pickup will contribute nicely to our global growth targets,” Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche said in a statement today (3/27). "We will enter this segment with our distinctive brand identity and all of the vehicle attributes that are typical of the brand with regard to safety, comfort, powertrains, and value." Sure, Dieter. As far as whether or not a Mercedes-Benz pickup will show up here in the U.S. market? Count on it. In fact you can bet that some sort of "Texan" edition aimed at the hottest state for pickup sales here in the U.S. is right around the corner. Where will it end? Probably when Dieter decides to enter the The Question that Absolutely No One is Asking Sweepstakes with a Mercedes competitor for the Chevy Sonic. - PMD

(Mercedes-Benz)

(Land Rover image)
One can never have enough options when considering a Range Rover Sport, apparently. Land Rover will unveil its new 2016 Range Rover Sport HST Limited Edition at the 2015 New York International Auto Show next week. Powered by a 3.0-liter, 380HP supercharged V6, the HST delivers an additional 40 more horsepower. "The HST extends our Range Rover Sport line-up giving customers even greater choice. Sitting between the existing 340hp Range Rover Sport 3.0-liter supercharged V6 and the 550hp supercharged variant, it delivers enhanced V6 performance to go with the renowned comfort and refinement of the Range Rover Sport," said David Mitchell, Vehicle Program Director Range Rover Sport. And it's also yet another creative way to extract more cash-ola from Range Rover Sport customers, we might add. The new Range Rover Sport HST includes design tweaks inside and out with black being the operative accent color; dark satin gray 21-inch alloy wheels; upgraded brakes with red brake calipers; additional stinkin' badges; tweaks to the suspension for a more aggressive feel and special interior bits with even more stinkin' badges. The HST is available with a single speed transfer case with a Torsen Center differential only, consistent with its high performance character and capabilities. Land Rover engineers have also devised a unique Terrain Response® set-up featuring a Dynamic Mode which optimizes the suspension, Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) and other electronic systems to suit on-road driving.  Why? It provides more controlled electronic damping, a more responsive throttle pedal, enhanced gearshifts and steering response. Range Rover Sport HST Limited Edition pricing and availability will be announced later this year.

(Images courtesy of Ford)
New York International Auto Show attendees will get the first in-person glimpse of the new 2016 Ford Focus RS here in the U.S. The Focus RS is powered by a highly-tweaked 2.3-liter EcoBoost® engine producing more than 315HP and features Ford's new Performance All-Wheel Drive with Dynamic Torque Vectoring, industry-first drift mode and additional drive modes. The new Ford Focus RS will be at dealerships in the United States one year from now, in case you're wondering.