Sunday, February 24, 2019

Stunning 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA Starts Production

Will it be as successful as the first-generation CLA?

After debuting at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year, the stunning 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA has officially entered production at the German company’s factory in Kecskemét, Hungary, where it will be assembled alongside the new A-Class and the CLA Shooting Brake.

Based on the new A-Class, the second-generation CLA builds on the monumental success of its predecessor and is designed to appeal to younger buyers with its sleek styling. Since its introduction in 2013, Mercedes has sold over 750,000 units of the first-generation CLA, and most of them were bought by customers new to the brand. To say that the new model has some big shoes to fill is an understatement.

"The ramp-up of the new CLA Coupe once again demonstrates the effectiveness of our international production network for the compact models of Mercedes-Benz cars. The success story of the preceding model was already closely associated with the Kecskemét plant. We are now writing the next chapter in this story. While the plant continues to operate at the highest technological level," said Markus Schäfer, Member of the Divisional Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Cars, Production and Supply Chain.

Under the hood, the CLA 250 is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder producing 225 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, which is sent through a seven-speed dual-clutch to 4Matic all-wheel-drive. Other models will make use of diesel engines and a manual transmission, but these will most likely only be available in Europe.

Inside, the second-generation CLA features Mercedes’ MBUX infotainment system first introduced in the new A-Class, which boasts a new intelligent virtual assistant that can be operated by voice or gesture control. Available safety systems include Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC, Active Emergency Stop Assist, Active Lane Change Assist, Active Brake Assist, Active Lane Keeping Assist, Pre-Safe Plus, and Multibeam LED headlights.

Pricing for the 2020 Mercedes CLA hasn’t been announced yet, but customer deliveries will begin in May so we shouldn’t have to wait too long to find out. For the first year of production, Mercedes will offer a CLA Edition 1, which includes numerous accents on the interior and exterior.

Saturday, February 16, 2019

Manhart releases a power kit for the Mercedes-Benz GLC 63 AMG

It’s been a while since we heard from German tuner Manhart. As it turns out, the team was busy developing a power kit for the Mercedes-Benz GLC 63 AMG (both SUV and coupe versions). They call the end result “Manhart GLR 700”, clearly referencing engine power with that number.

In its stock state, the Mercedes-Benz GLC 63 AMG has a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine that produces up to 510 hp (380 kW) and 700 Nm of torque. The upgrade brings along improved turbochargers, a better air intake, a new exhaust system and a major ECU tuning. The result is a magnificent 713 hp (532 kW) and 920 Nm of torque.

Needless to say, this kind of boost necessitates making certain tweaks to the stock 9-speed automatic transmission, and Manhart is happy to deliver here, too.

On the outside, the Manhart GLR 700 sports 21-inch Concave One wheels, lowered ride height and a matte-grey paint wrap with atelier’s trademark yellow accents.

Sunday, February 10, 2019

COE prices close mostly higher in latest bidding exercise

SINGAPORE: Certificate of Entitlement (COE) premiums closed mostly higher in the latest bidding exercise on Friday (Feb 8).

For Category A cars, or those 1,600cc and below with horsepower not exceeding 130bhp, premiums closed at S$25,689, down from S$26,170 in the last exercise.

Premiums for larger and more powerful cars in Category B rose to S$34,509 from S$33,989.

COEs for commercial vehicles, which include goods vehicles and buses, rose to S$26,378 from S$26,230 in the previous bidding exercise.

Motorcycle premiums closed at S$3,709, up from S$2,889 in the last exercise.

Open category COEs, which can be used for any vehicle type but end up being used mainly for large cars, rose to S$35,310 from S$33,689.

A total of 6,483 bids were received, with a quota of 4,427 COEs available.