ABSD

 When do you pay ABSD? 

Whenever you have marked your agreement, you are required to pay ABSD. The cutoff time relies upon where the buy understanding is agreed upon. In the event that you sign the agreement in Singapore, the cutoff time is 14 days. On the off chance that you sign the agreement abroad, you have 30 days after the understanding is gotten in Singapore. 

What are the outcomes of paying ABSD late? 

Not gathering your ABSD installment cutoff time may accompany some genuine outcomes. Here are the punishments you may confront on the off chance that you are late in paying your ABSD: 

Late installment of as long as 3 months: $10 or a sum equivalent to the BSD and ABSD payable, whichever is higher. 

Late installment of over 3 months: $25 or a sum equivalent to multiple times the BSD and ABSD payable, whichever is higher. 

Where to pay ABSD? 

- You can pay ABSD through 3 elective techniques. The first is through the IRAS e-Stamping Portal (https://estamping.iras.gov.sg/). The entry acknowledges installments through NETS, check or clerk's structure. 

- You can likewise pay ABSD through IRAS Surf Center e-Terminals, where it acknowledges installments through NETS, check or cashcard. 

- The last technique for installment is through SingPost Service Bureaus (Chinatown, Novena, Raffles Place and Shenton Way). This strategy acknowledges installments through NETS, check, money or clerk's structure. 

Kindly note that ABSD must be settled completely and can't be paid in portions. 

Would i be able to utilize my CPF to pay ABSD? 

ABSD can be repaid by your CPF. To do so you would initially have to pay your ABSD with money. Really at that time, sometime in the future, would you be able to get the sum paid from your CPF. You can just utilize assets from your Ordinary Account for installment.

The Antares

The Antares has gotten somewhat of a blended response; however those of you who need to live approach the CBD (on a tight spending plan) deserve to think about this spot. 

The quick area of The Antares isn't energizing: there are no close by shopping centers, no film, no way of life zones, and so on Notwithstanding the FairPrice at Block 77 close by, there isn't a lot to do. In any case, what The Antares offers is a straightforward comfort: 

It's privilege close to the Mattar MRT station (Downtown Line), and it's a 7.7 kilometer (around 12-minute drive) to Raffles Place. 

Presently we wouldn't generally make reference to schools here, as $1.6 million is for more modest units and we accept the greater part of you're not family purchasers.

Parc Greenwich EC

Cairnhill 16 Developer, Tiong Seng is a leading civil engineering company based in Singapore, having 60 years of experience and track record. With the highest A1 grading from the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) for both general building and civil engineering projects, Tiong Seng is certified to take on public sector construction projects with unlimited contract value.

Parc Greenwich EC Location. Parc Greenwich is very much associated with the significant street, Yio Chu Kang Road and to the CTE turnpike. You can arrive at both Buangkok and Yio Chu Kang MRT in under 10 min. Or on the other hand you can essentially stroll to Fernvale LRT station. For families, Parc Greenwich will be incredible for your children with the numerous grade schools nearby. You will likewise be directly at the doorstep of Greenwich V shopping center.

Ocean Sky is is engaged in the civil engineering, construction and related services business and the business of property development, investment, and management. Their past projects include Sloane Residences and Eco Garden Mall.

Cairnhill 16 Location. Cairnhill 16 is at the prime location of District 9, right at the heart of the Orchard Shopping Belt. You will be within walking distance of 3 MRT stations. There are plenty of food options around the area, including the famous Newton Food Centre. You will be extremely well-connected to the CBD, Marina Bay and the future Greater Southern Waterfront.

Google Marketing

Setting up a nearby business page on Google for your land promoting endeavors is unquestionably reasonable. On the off chance that you can, focus on the correct catchphrases in your business page also. For instance, you can utilize "Los Angeles Real Estate Agent John Doe" to focus on the correct catchphrases or "New York Realtor Jane Doe, etc. 

To arrangement a neighborhood business page on Google, simply go to google.com/business where you can start entering your business' data, beginning with its area. This is a vital advance simultaneously, and you can likewise request surveys on Google once your profile has been set up as a neighborhood business. 

Trulia is another enormous asset with regards to land promoting. On the off chance that you're not on Trulia, you're doing yourself a damage. Unmistakably, individuals are going to locales like this by the thousand. Guarantee that you first arrangement a profile on Trulia, at that point you can use its advertisement stage to get the news out. 

On the off chance that you have a forthcoming home or condominium that you're promoting, why not run a couple of advertisements and track their viability to see exactly how well it works out. Like some other kind of advertisement, you need to pass judgment on exactly how well it's functioning for you by following the number of leads it really creates.

LIV @ MB

LIV @ MB is created on the land space from the en coalition offer of Katong Park Towers. Arranged in the mainstream District 15, LIV @ MB has helpful admittance to a wide exhibit of shopping centers, food outlets, sports offices in Kallang and Marine Parade, for example, Parkland Green, East Coast Park, Parkway Parade, I12 Katong and Kallang Wave. 

LIV @ MB Condo is a 4-min leave the future Katong Park MRT Station (Thomson-East Coast Line) expected to finish in 2023 and 4 prevents away from the Marina Bay Financial Center (MBFC). It is likewise all around connected with significant interstates. It is only a 12 min drive to CBD and a 16 min drive to Changi Airport.

The Atelier Condo

The Atelier is new freehold condo launch in an excellent prime location of District 9. It is right at the doorstep of Newton MRT station which can go into both the North South MRT Line and Downtown MRT line. It is great for children applying to enter primary school, being close to many popular choices.

The Atelier Condo Showroom is at a very strategic location for families looking for popular primary schools. Both Anglo Chinese School (ACS Junior) and St. Joseph’s Institution (SJI Junior) are within 1km. Singapore Chinese Girl's Primary School (SCGS) is also within 2km of The Atelier. You will enjoy maximum convenience for shopping and work too, being able to drive to Orchard in 8 min and to CBD in 15 min.

Provence Residence Condo One Bernam Condo

One Bernam values shocking organization being straightforwardly at the center of the Central Business District (CBD). You can essentially walk around 3 MRT stations (Tanjong Pagar MRT, Prince Edward Road MRT and Cantonment MRT) and the many retail outlets close by. Driving will in like manner be a breeze, with straightforward induction to MCE and AYE from One Bernam. You can even cycle to East Coast Park, using the new North-South Corridor. 

One Bernam Developer, MCC Land was set up in 2010 when Metallurgical Corporation of China (MCC Group) first meandered into neighborhood property improvement. Starting now and into the foreseeable future, MCC Land has become the commonplace arm in Southeast Asia, making and managing different land projects in Singapore and in the territory. Late exercises in Singapore consolidate Provence Residence, The Canopy and Queens Peak. 

Provence Residence Condo is new dispatch Executive Condo (EC) intending to dispatch in March 2021. You will be close to the second CBD (Central Business District) in Jurong. The energizing Bukit Canberra, a games and local area center point will be opening before long right at the doorstep of Provence Residence. It will have best in class offices, coordinating a polyclinic, food focus, older consideration place, indoor games corridor and 3km of running ways. 

One Bernam offers an extraordinary opportunity to stay in the CBD, straightforwardly at the doorstep of Tanjong Pagar MRT. Feel the energy of being at the point of convergence of work, lifestyle, and entertainment. The URA Masterplan is to develop the CBD to have fiery lifestyle commitments after work. Notable schools like CHIJ (Kellock) will similarly be near One Bernam.

Normanton Park Condo

 Normanton Park townhouse has an uncommon and interesting area, being adjoining Kent Ridge Park with plentiful greeneries and water bodies. 9 raised and great private squares will resemble immense strong trees in the environmental factors. It will surely be an entrancing living encounter. There will likewise be shops and an eatery inside this turn of events, addressing your requirements helpfully. You will be near examination and instructive center points around there – directly at the doorstep of Science Park and furthermore only inverse of One North business park. 

Normanton Park Developer, Kingsford Development was fused in 2011 by China-based Kingsford Group. The solid Kingsford brand name is quickly relatable to extravagance homes in Asia like Kingsford Waterbay and Hillview Peak, and having breathtaking finishing. Kingsford Development won the Singapore Prestige Brand Award – Global Brands in 2019. 

Normanton Park Location. Normanton Park is very much associated with significant interstates like West Coast Highway, AYE, KPE and MCE. A short vehicle ride will likewise interface you to both the Circle MRT line and East West MRT line. There are numerous grade schools neaby and a 5 min drive will carry you to National University of Singapore. Clinical administrations are additionally only minutes away at National University Hospital and Alexandra Hospital. Head down to IKEA Alexandra in the nights, for reasonable food, furniture and family things.

Clavon condo

Clavon Location. Clavon condo is ideally located to have great connectivity by both public and private transport. You can simply walk to Clementi MRT and connect to the major MRT lines. Driving will be a breeze as well, entering into the expressway, AYE immediately and then into PIE in another 5 min. It is also an excellent place for students, from primary all the way to tertiary education. With both Clementi 448 Food Centre and Ayer Rajah Food Centre just round the corner, you will be spolit for food choices.

Clavon is a superb condominium to consider if you want to stay in a popular mature estate like Clementi. It is within walking distance to the MRT station and it is just one MRT station away to Jurong East where it will be the future second CBD. Parents can send their children to reputable schools like Nan Hua High School and ACS (Barker Road) nearby. There are also abundant green spaces in this area for relaxation. Just head to West Coast Park or Singapore Botanics Gardens.

Plan Marketing Infographics

 Make Lifestyle Videos 

Beside the recordings you make for singular properties, you can make video showcasing that sells a way of life. Advancing the overall inclination that individuals can get from purchasing a mobile home in your general vicinity can get individuals amped up for purchasing and help you position your image in a positive light. Feature fun nearby attractions, the design magnificence of homes in your area, or other selling focuses about moving to the territory. 

Plan Marketing Infographics 

Analytics infographics are straightforward pictures that share insights and fun realities. As a real estate professional, you can utilize them to advance cool highlights about homes in your general vicinity or insights concerning explicit areas. At that point share them via web-based media and other neighborhood occupants may hook on and help them turn into a web sensation. Incorporate your marking and property connections to your site and social profiles so individuals who discover the designs online can without much of a stretch discover you too.

Marketing Personal Touch

 Identifiable stage: You can undoubtedly follow who opens your marketing message, what joins they clicked and who disregarded the message. 

Intuitiveness: Mobile content informing makes it conceivable to get criticism from your beneficiaries rapidly, by means of a snappy tap on the 'answer' button. 

Prompt conveyance: Overall, versatile showcasing is quick. When you press 'send,' your marketing message goes out quickly, except if there is a specialized blunder. You can set up a crusade and have several impressions and snaps inside 5 minutes. 

Individual touch: When you send an instant message through your cell phone, it gives you a casual occasion to customize the message. You can share a short story or connection to an asset where beneficiaries can peruse an individual investigation or contextual analysis. 

Add an individual touch 

Little firms actually esteem the individual touch. Also, individuals do, as well. 

It's frequently said that, "web indexes don't have Visas – they can't accepting your item." So, why make them your #1 core interest? 

Some SEOs wrongly stuff catchphrases and over-improving anchor text, without thinking about clients. Google Panda and Penguin refreshes debilitate these appalling practices. 

All things being equal, it's smarter to offer some benefit and interface sincerely with perusers. The most ideal approach to do this is by customizing your showcasing. 

Note: When you customize your promoting for property clients, it doesn't imply that you simply talk about yourself and your accomplishments. No, it implies that you're associating at an individual level, imagining their perspective and responding to their real estate inquiries. 

All in all, how would you customize your showcasing? Follow these basic hints and you'll nail it without fail: 

Recognize singular client needs: Derek Halpern of Social Triggers sees how to distinguish people's particular requirements. At the point when somebody buys in to his rundown, they get a welcome message.

Yelp

Yelp is an extraordinary asset for working up your audits as a realtor or an organization. Request surveys on a spot like Yelp by coordinating your Yelp profile into your email signature and furthermore onto your site. Whenever you've finished an effective exchange, ask those purchasers or merchants to post their criticism about the trade on Yelp. 

As you develop your surveys on Yelp, you'll increment your business. Guarantee that you convey a ton of significant worth and you generally deal with your customers and you'll in the long run make an incredible profile here.

A customer relationship management (CRM) tool is purpose-built to help you generate more meaningful interactions with prospects and customers. From the first touch to final handshake, an industry-leading CRM stores valuable customer information organizes conversations, creates automated follow-up reminders, and more.

Beyond that, it stores information about what works and what doesn’t from a marketing perspective. For example, you can start to gain an understanding of where the leads that end up purchasing are coming from. You’ll know if they are coming in from Facebook, Zillow, Google, or somewhere else. This allows you to focus more of your time on what works and less time on what doesn’t.

Fit Small Business rated HubSpot’s CRM + Sales Hub the best overall free real estate CRM. They compared it to other CRMs in the areas of price, number of users, number of contacts, ability to capture leads from a variety of sources, call, text, and email logging, email marketing, ease of use, customization options, and unique features.

They said that it was the best because:

It allows you to have up to one million contacts on the free tier.

You can have unlimited users for free.

The CRM has the ability to create custom sales pipelines.

It also includes basic email marketing features inside the CRM.

HubSpot is providing more features at the free level than many other CRMs do in their paid plans.

Some information about the leads that come in is also auto-populated, which is something you don’t see in most CRMs — even on paid tiers.

You can pair the free CRM with the free version of Sales Hub to unlock even more features. For example, your Sales Hub unlocks email scheduling, tracking, notifications, attachments, and the ability to schedule meetings and calls within the CRM.

https://coqnit.com/

May 08 - COE Prices

SINGAPORE: Certificate of Entitlement (COE) prices closed mixed in the latest bidding exercise on Wednesday (May 8), with premiums for cars continuing their upward trend.

Category A cars, or those 1,600cc and below with horsepower not exceeding 130bhp, saw the biggest increase this round, with premiums closing at S$36,704. This is up from S$33,199 in the last exercise.

For larger and more powerful cars in Category B, premiums rose to S$48,010 from S$48,000.

Open category COEs, which can be used for any vehicle type but end up being used mainly for large cars, rose to S$52,502 from S$52,410.

COEs for commercial vehicles, which include goods vehicles and buses, fell to S$28,559 from S$32,001 in the previous bidding exercise.

Motorcycle premiums closed at S$3,352, down from S$3,452 in the last exercise.

A total of 5,625 bids were received, with a quota of 4,271 COEs available.

Car COE prices continue to surge in latest bidding exercise

SINGAPORE - Certificate of entitlement (COE) prices continued to surge at the latest tender on Wednesday (April 17), with all categories ending noticeably higher except for motorcycles.

COE premiums for cars up to 1,600cc and 130bhp finished at $33,199, up from $29,159 two weeks ago. COE prices for cars above 1,600cc or 130bhp closed at $48,000, up from $43,102.

Premiums for Open COE, which can be used for any vehicle type except motorcycles but ends up mostly for bigger cars, finished at $52,410, up from $48,209.

Commercial vehicle COE prices closed at $32,001, up from $27,589. Motorcycle COE premiums bucked the uptrend by ending at $3,452, down from $3,501.

The surge followed an unexpected rise in COEs for bigger cars in the previous tender, which was attributed to new demand from private-hire players.

"The market is actually quite weak," said one major motor trader. "The showrooms have been very quiet in recent months."

Mr Ron Lim, head of sales and marketing at Nissan agent Tan Chong Motor, said “the market has slowed down significantly after the price increase from last round of COE price hike, so we can conclude safely the latest rise has nothing to do with retail demand”.

Still, Mr Lim said Wednesday’s results is also driven by “a classic case of panic bidding” on the back of “speculation over the extent of the next COE quota cut”.

Going by available data to date, the supply of COEs for the May-July period may shrink by as much as 20 per cent.

Mr Lim added that he hopes “some sanity will return after the actual quota is released”, but cautioned that there are “headwinds”, including a three-week break before the next tender exercise (allowing sellers to collect more orders), and the upcoming Car@Expo retail event, which would also typically lead to more orders.

Wall Street Red Flag: A Bond Market Indicator That Has Predicted Every Recession In The Last 50 Years Just Got Triggered

If the bond market is correct, the U.S. economy is definitely heading into a recession.  Over the past 50 years, there have been six previous occasions when the yield on three-month Treasury bonds has risen above the yield on ten-year Treasury bonds, and in each of those instances a recession has followed.  Now it has happened again, and this comes at a time when a whole host of other economic indicators are screaming that a recession is coming.  Of course we have seen recession indicators triggered at other times in recent years, and the Federal Reserve was able to intervene and successfully extend this cycle on multiple occasions.  But now that the global economy is clearly the weakest it has been since the last recession, have we finally reached a breaking point?

Many on Wall Street are taking what happened at the end of last week extremely seriously.  According to CNBC, we have not seen a yield curve inversion of this nature in 3,009 trading days…

Short-term government fixed income yields are now ahead of the longer part of the curve, delivering a strong recession indication that hasn’t happened since 2007.

The spread, or yield curve, between the 3-month and 10-year Treasury notes just broke the longest streak ever of being above 10 basis points, or 0.1 percentage point. The two maturities were last below that level in September 2007, a run of 3,009 trading days, according to Bespoke Investment Group.

3,009 trading days is a very, very long time.

And now we will see how inverted the curve becomes, because as Zero Hedge has aptly pointed out, the more inverted the curve become the “higher the odds of a recession”…

Why is the inversion of the 3 Month-10 Year curve – the first since 2007 – such a momentous occasion? Because not only is said inversion the most accurate recession leading indicator, having correctly “predicted” the last 6 recessions with no false positives, most recently inverting in 1989, in 2000 and in 2006, with recessions prompting starting in 1990, 2001 and 2008….

… it also feeds directly into every Wall Street recession model: the more inverted it is, the higher the odds of a recession.

To get an idea of what the models are currently showing, just check out this chart.  At this moment, the odds of another recession are the highest they have been since the last one.

Many investors were hoping that the bond market would have better news for us on Monday, but instead things got even worse…

On Friday, markets were spooked when the yield curve inverted, a reliable recession signal though usually not an immediate one. That means the rate on a lower duration instrument rose above a longer duration security’s yield. In this case, it was the yield on the 3-month bill, at 2.44 percent Monday, moving above the 10-year yield, which sank as low as 2.38 percent, a more than 2-year low.

I know that just about everybody in America is writing about the Mueller Report right now, and I just posted an article about it too, but the outcome of that investigation is not going to change the trajectory of the global economy.  It has been slowing down for quite some time, and that is the primary reason why we have seen an inversion of the yield curve…

“Yield curves are responding to what they see, to what I believe is a global economic slowdown,” said Peter Boockvar, chief investment officer at Bleakley Advisory Group. “You don’t see this kind of move in curves, not just here but everywhere, unless you get one.”

Global central banks are already jumping into action, and I expect a tremendous amount of intervention as global economic conditions continue to deteriorate.

But there is only so much that they can do, and even though they have pulled a few rabbits out of the hat in recent years, at some point they are going to completely lose control.

Already, we are starting to see things happen that are very reminiscent of the last recession.  For example, we are on pace for the worst year for store closings in all of U.S. history, and another major retailer just announced that they will be closing all their stores…

LifeWay Christian Resources announced Wednesday that it will be closing all remaining 170 stores this year and focusing on online sales. Carol Pipes, director of corporate communications for LifeWay, posted the announcement on the company’s website, explaining that it was “a strategic shift of resources to a dynamic digital strategy.”

Communities all over America, especially the more economically-depressed ones, are going to start looking really bleak as the number of empty buildings continues to rise.  This is something that I have warned about for a long time, and now it is happening on a massive scale.

As I end this article, I once again want to mention a factor that is going to have an enormous impact on our economy throughout the rest of this year.  The flooding in the middle portion of the nation has destroyed thousands of farms, and the National Weather Service is warning that the flooding that we have seen so far is just “a preview of what we expect throughout the rest of the spring”.  This is already the worst flooding disaster for U.S. farmers in modern American history, and it is going to get much, much worse.

We are going to see another huge surge in farm bankruptcies, thousands of farmers will not be able to plant crops at all this year, food prices are going to rise dramatically, and a lot of families all over America are going to have a real problem making their food budgets stretch far enough.

There are so many factors hammering our economy right now.  If the Federal Reserve is able to pull another rabbit out of the hat this time, it will be nothing short of a major miracle.

We are literally at a critical tipping point, and it is not going to be easy to pull us back from the brink this time.

BMW, Mercedes-Benz lower prices in China after VAT drop

SHANGHAI: BMW AG and Mercedes-Benz said on Saturday they will lower their prices in China, after the government announced it will reduce the country's value-added tax (VAT) starting on April 1.

The German automobile companies each published posts on Chinese social media announcing immediate price cuts for several models. The discounts come as China endures a shrinking market for automobiles as the economy slows.

BMW said it would reduce prices for both domestically produced and imported models, including the locally-made BMW 3 series and BMW 5 series, along with the BMW X5 and BMW 7 import models. The BMW 320Li M model will sell for a suggested retail price of 339,800 yuan (US$50,620), a drop of 10,000 yuan from its original price.

The reductions mark the company's "active response to the national VAT adjustment notice," BMW said in a post on WeChat, China's popular messaging app.

Daimler AG-owned Mercedes-Benz announced similar price cuts on a range of its cars, also effective immediately, in advance of the upcoming VAT drop. The cuts shown on its social media page range from 10,000 yuan to 40,000 yuan on select models.

On March 5, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang announced that China will cut VAT across a range of industries, with the tax set to drop in the manufacturing sector from 16 percent to 13 percent and in the transport sector from 10 percent to 9 percent.

The carmakers' cuts come as China's automobile industry faces a major slowdown. In 2018, China's car market shrank 5.8 percent, marking its first contraction in over two decades.

Policymakers have introduced a range of policies to stimulate demand for cars. In January, China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said it would loosen restrictions on the second-hand car market and provide subsidies to boost purchases in rural areas.

Wedding Photography Services

We are a group of freelance photographers managed by professional agency.

Our prices are very affordable if not the cheapest in town.

Our services include pre-wedding studio + outdoor photography, ROM photography, Actual day journalistic wedding photography and so on.

We are currently looking for couples who want to engage Actual day wedding photographer for just S$100 (limited to 10 couples only)

I am still thinking of the places to go for my Outdoor PS. I like sea and sky. I also like old buildings and also flowers ....

Here are some places which I tot of. Any comments?

1) Botanic Gardens/Japanese Garden
2) Changi Beach (any nice beach to recommend)
3) Shophouses at Chinatown (old style)
4) Reservoir

some of following locations u may consider:
1) botanic garden - got waterfall, pond, green field.....
2) Sentosa - orchid garden got a very nice chapel, famous hai zi shui, beach, old house...
3) Marina city park - green field, pond...
4) Changi - lalang field, beach.....
5) Kent Ridge park
6) temples at pickering street & cicil street
7) Peranakan Place at Somerset
8) Sportiswood park - shophouses
9) Railway station
10) Labrador park - sunset
11) SAM

Japanese garden nothing much to take, don waste money go there take. My fren told me the photo turn out not really impressive. He told me must choose colorful background den the photo will turn out nice.

Oslo: Charging electric cars no longer free of charge

Electric car drivers in the capital of Norway must now pay for charging. Oslo has started the conversion of about 1,300 public charging points in the city to be able to charge a fee. The aim is not so much to cash in but to keep EVs from parking for free without charging.

Starting immediately, Oslo will charge ten crowns (approx. 1 euro) per hour during the day and five NOK per hour at night. At the same time, there are also plans to increase the number of charging stations to 2,000 by the end of the year.

Christina Bu of Norway’s electric car association, Norsk Elbilforening, has welcomed the step. She told the Norwegian Aftenposten that “we need to ensure rotation and that people only park at charging stations when they’re charging”.

With EV charging infrastructure lacking behind actual sales of electric cars, charging is increasingly becoming a problem, particularly in densely populated urban areas. We hear reports of incidences of electric car drivers using the free parking opportunity at a charge column without charging from people in various markets.

The (luxury) problem may further intensify as more and more electric car clubs go live. 250 Renault Zoe have just been made available in Oslo this winter, and while the new service is supposed to help alleviate public transport and supported by train operator NSB, these EVs will have to charge as well.

In Norway, almost every second vehicle registered is currently an EV. According to this CAM study, the market percentage of electric vehicles in Norway in the first three quarters of 2018 climbed from 37% to 46.7% compared to the previous year. From a European perspective and counting only passenger electric cars, Norway continues to be miles ahead of its neighbouring countries. The country had an EV share of 31,2% in 2018 according to this count.

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.

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.