C-230 Mercedes Benz, 1998 on 2040-cars

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VW looking to MAN up, ditch Mercedes van deal

Unlike the US, the commercial truck market throughout the rest of the world is chocked full of competitors from many different automakers. Since 2006, Volkswagen has had a fullsize van called the Crafter that was a result of a partnership with Daimler AG and based on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. This partnership is supposed to last through 2016, but Reuters is reporting that VW might be looking to end its relationship with Daimler and create its own van in cooperation with German truck and bus maker MAN.
The article says that VW AG has more than a 75-percent stake in MAN, which would essentially be keeping the new commercial vehicle in-house. Even if VW bolts, Daimler still has a deal worked out in the commercial truck industry between its subsidiary Mitsubishi Fuso and Renault-Nissan to supply the other with different trucks.

Here's today's round of auto plant closures in response to coronavirus

More automakers have shuttered factories, as businesses everywhere work to slow the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus — and as the pandemic slows sales and disrupts parts supply chains. On Friday, the following closures were announced: • Volvo will close its factories in Sweden and the United States from March 26 to April 14. Volvo's U.S. facility, in Charleston, South Carolina, makes the S60 sedan. Its assembly plant in Torslanda, Sweden, turns out the XC90, SC60, and V90. Other Swedish facilities make engines and component parts. A Volvo factory in Ghent, Belgium, that builds the XC40 and V60 closed earlier this week and is expected to remain offline until April 6. Volvo's four factories in China have been reopened after a shutdown earlier this year. • Jaguar Land Rover announced that it will suspend production at its assembly plants in the UK over the coming week. The shutdown is expected to last until April 20. Elsewhere, production continues at the company's factories in India and Brazil, and JLR's joint-venture plant in China reopened at the end of February. • Bentley is closing its factory in Crewe, England, for four weeks, effective today. • Bugatti has put its atelier in Molsheim, France, on hiatus. No date was given for when assembly of its supercars might resume. • Mercedes-Benz on Monday will shut down its SUV factory in Alabama and its van assembly plant in South Carolina. Both will remain closed for a minimum of two weeks. Tesla yesterday revealed that it will suspend operations at its Fremont, California, vehicle assembly plant next week, on order from local officials there. Yesterday's factory closure announcements also included the U.S. assembly plants for Toyota (until April 6), Volkswagen (through March 29), Subaru (through March 29), and Hyundai (no time period specified). They join GM, Ford, Chrysler, Honda, Nissan, and Harley-Davidson, which earlier this week announced the suspension of production at their facilities. Plants/Manufacturing Bentley Bugatti Jaguar Land Rover Mercedes-Benz Volvo coronavirus

Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe is ready to tackle BMW's X6

Under the chiseled hood of the GLE 450 AMG sits a 3.0L, twin-turbo V6 with 362 hp and 384 lb-ft. Years after the polarizing BMW X6 originally hit the market, Mercedes-Benz has finally unveiled its slope-roofed challenger, and much like Munich's Sport Activity Vehicle, we think the new GLE Coupe will split opinions rather dramatically. While it clearly shares its form factor with BMW's X4 and X6, the GLE Coupe's styling is all Mercedes, borrowing the more organic shapes used on the company's most recent new model, the AMG GT. Strips of chrome and the iconic silver arrow logo bisect a large, rectangular grille, while the fascia on the GLE 450 shown above features three rather dramatic lower air intakes. The headlights, meanwhile, fit in with MB's latest styling language. In back, slim, wraparound taillights share some resemblance with the new S-Class Coupe. The cabin is recognizable and looks to be of extremely high quality, with the featured vehicle showing off quite a lot of carbon-fiber trim. A thick-rimmed, flat-bottomed steering wheel dominates the driver's area, while a large, tablet-like display crowns the center stack. The same sort of touch-controlled interface and input dial found on the new C-Class controls the information on that screen. Under the chiseled hood of the GLE 450 AMG, the first of Mercedes' AMG Sport models, sits a 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V6. Unlike the 329-horsepower unit in the C400 and E400, the force-induced V6 generates 362 hp and an equally robust 384 pound-feet of torque. It's mated up to a new nine-speed automatic transmission and Mercedes' 4Matic all-wheel-drive system. A new version of the popular Airmatic suspension is being offered with the ADS Plus continuously variable dampers while Mercedes is also fitting its Active Curve System, complete with active roll stabilization. Mercedes doesn't provide many additional details on the GLE Coupe range, as it were. We know about the 450 AMG, but it's not clear whether there will be a GLE 400 or non-AMG 450, or if Mercedes will move it down market and offer a GLE 350 to compete with the X6's xDrive35i. There's also no mention of when or where the new model will debut, although previous reports point to the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. Prices and an on-sale date, meanwhile, have not been revealed. Scroll down for the full press blast from Mercedes-Benz on its newest model, the 2016 GLE Coupe. Premiere: Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe A sportier choice Stuttgart.