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Smart brand might be doomed

Reports are painting a less than rosy picture of the Smart brand's future. The Daimler-owned carmaker is going fully electric in 2020, but that might not be enough to keep it alive for long. Inside sources, quoted by Automobile Magazine, are saying Renault is likely to pull out of the partnership that created the current Smart ForTwo/Renault Twingo pairing introduced in 2014. The two rear-engined cars share a platform, and when the current Twingo is done for, Renault might want to part ways. In addition, Mercedes isn't willing to prop up Smart on its own, and there is a possibility that the entire Smart brand could be shuttered by 2026. A previous joint venture was the ForFour hatch co-developed with Mitsubishi, and despite the ForFour name living on in the current generation rear-engined car, the earlier FWD hatchback has quickly been forgotten. Not long ago, Smart presented its Forease open-top concept to give customers a glimpse of what future Smart cars would look like, but at its heart the Forease was still a current Smart dressed up with concept car details. The next-generation Mercedes-Benz A-Class is to be signed off in 2021 for a 2025 introduction, and it can be underpinned by a more flexible, fully scalable platform that could also serve to support a new entry-level Mercedes-Benz vehicle that could render the separate Smart brand pointless. Then there's Geely, who now owns nearly 10 percent of Daimler, and who is partnering with Daimler to launch a new "premium" ride-hailing venture in China. As Geely develops its mobility solutions, it is likely to keep an eye on Smart: Smart cars have been car-sharing staples around the world for quite a while, from users such as Car2Go. Automobile Magazine says that if a Smart is co-developed with Geely, it might suit the Chinese market well, but a global business case might be challenging. In any case, if Smart wants to survive beyond the current Renault partnership, the new model should be agreed upon quickly, and it must be based on a platform flexible enough to support full electric drive. Reportedly, there are now ongoing feasibility studies for a fully electric Daimler "U-Class," which would include a Smart-like three or five-door hatch with two wheelbase options, a ride-sharing shuttle with autonomous capabilities, and an urban delivery panel van. But Smart must justify itself for the upcoming decades, or the future Daimler products that occupy its niche will be wearing a three-pointed star instead.

Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet is last year's concept with a soft top

Last year, Mercedes brought an absurd, excessive two-seat coupe to Pebble Beach called the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6. We say absurd and excessive because it was a roughly 19-foot long coupe for just two people. It also packed a 750-horsepower electric powertrain. This year, Mercedes brought pretty much the same car, but now with a soft top and the suffix "Cabriolet." Because the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet is basically the same car as the coupe, it's also dripping with unashamed excess. It's still 19 feet long, it still carries only two people, and it still has 750 horsepower from electric motors. Mercedes claims that power will propel the car to 60 mph in under 4 seconds. Also like the coupe, it has a range of 200 miles on a charge, and with the right charger, can supposedly regain about 60 miles in 5 minutes. There are changes to the car, though. For one, it's painted a different color. Instead of the vibrant red of the coupe, the roadster is a navy blue that Mercedes says helps evoke the feeling of a yacht — more so than the size already did. It also has new wheels with a more conventional multi-spoke look. They're also have rose gold-painted accents. The change to a convertible body style alters the appearance of the Mercedes-Maybach 6 more than you'd expect, too. Now that a significant portion of the vehicle is finished in a contrasting color, the car looks a bit shorter, in a good way. It doesn't look cumbersome. The lack of a fastback also helps keep the tail from looking like it's sagging, as it does on the coupe. The interior of the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet is mostly the same as the coupe, too. It features the same white leather seats that blend into the doors and dashboard. It also has the wild wraparound display and clear center tunnel with light tubes that show the flow of electricity to the motors. Metal highlights are finished in rose gold hue, as is the stitching. The differences include more prominent shapes that imply air vents, as well as a wood floor with aluminum strips to complete the yacht feeling. Also, the buttons that dot the seats have Mercedes logos on them, and they're backlit. We also get a peak under the hood of the Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet. It opens up like pre-war cars with two panels connected by a center hinge. Because it uses compact electric motors and underfloor batteries, there's storage space under the hood.

Aston wants to build DBX on its new platform, not Mercedes'

Aston Martin is proceeding with plans to launch the DBX as its first production crossover. It just can't say at this point what it will be based on. Speaking with Automotive News Europe, Aston's new CEO Andy Palmer indicated that basing the DBX on a Mercedes SUV platform would not be its first choice because they "clearly sit in a very different space to the one we want to go" with the DBX. Instead, the company's first choice would be to build the crossover atop the new platform it's developing for its sports cars. "It just depends how high off the ground it could go," said Palmer. "I don't exclude the possibility of using some [Mercedes] parts, but I would say very much the primary route is our platform." The prospect of building an Aston SUV on Mercedes architecture – namely that of the GL-Class – has been on the table for some time now. The Lagonda SUV concept it showcased at the Geneva show in 2009 was based on the GL, and the two automakers have been forging a tightening alliance in the years since. The British automaker's next-generation engine is to be built by Mercedes-AMG, and it is expected to source other components from the German automaker as well. For its part, Mercedes has been taking a sportier approach with its latest crossovers, as demonstrated by the GLE Coupe that debuted before the more conventional version and the Concept GLC Coupe that previewed the GLK's replacement in Shanghai last month. Aston Martin, on the other hand, is building a new sports car platform that will underpin its next generation of luxury GTs, replacing the long-serving VH architecture that has served for decades as the basis for its entire model line. Perhaps the most surprising of ANE's report, though, is that Aston seems to be proceeding with plans to build the DBX apparently without even knowing what platform it will use.