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VW, Fiat, Mercedes could be CNG winners in Europe

Fiat ads in the US try to play up the exotic, sexy side of Italian culture. On the home front in Italy, however, passenger-vehicle sales are marked by something less edgy and quite a bit more practical: the growth of compressed-natural-gas (CNG) powered car sales. In fact, Italy is leading a group of European countries where CNG sales are on the upswing and may be benefiting automakers like VW, Fiat and Mercedes-Benz, according to Automotive News. VW started sales of its Golf TGI natural-gas vehicle this year – the company's fourth in Europe – while Mercedes-Benz added a natural-gas B-class model. Fiat accounts for about 50 percent of CNG vehicles sold on the continent. In all, Europe's CNG sales through September totaled about 67,000, up seven percent from a year earlier, Automotive News Europe says, citing research firm JATO Dynamics. And the number of CNG vehicles on Europe's roads could jump tenfold within the next decade. The draw is a combination of lower refueling prices and a CNG drivetrain that typically emits less CO2 than diesel vehicles. As for Italy, about five percent of new-vehicle sales are CNG. To put that into perspective, hybrids, battery-electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and diesels combined to account for about 4.2 percent of US vehicle sales last year. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Volkswagen Green Fiat Mercedes-Benz Volkswagen Natural Gas Vehicles CNG

Mercedes Concept GLA45 AMG is ready to run

This is the Mercedes-Benz Concept GLA45 AMG, and what we mean by that is, "This is the Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG." Mercedes has just unveiled the liveried 'concept' at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show, giving potential customers a very good look at the newest lunatic in the AMG asylum - a 355-horsepower, 332-pound-foot crossover that uses the same 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine found in the CLA45 AMG and Europe's A45 AMG.
Joined with a seven-speed, AMG Speedshift dual-clutch transmission and an AMG Performance 4Matic all-wheel-drive system, Mercedes promises a sub-five-second run to 60 miles per hour. That's not just quick for a crossover, that's quick full stop.
That sleek, lifted body has also been tweaked by the minds at AMG's Affalterbach facility. A new rear spoiler, side sills and front clip are the primary aerodynamic tweaks. Aesthetically, AMG has fitted the requisite "Turbo" badges, gloss-black accents (including exhaust tips and roof rails) and a set of 21-inch, AMG-spec alloy wheels to round out the overall package. Based on the spy shots we've seen, expect slightly toned down aerodynamics when the GLA45 AMG arrives in showrooms.

Mercedes-Maybach previews longer, more lavish S-Class ahead of debut

In some international markets, Mercedes-Benz's new 2021 S-Class will get Level 3 semi-autonomous technology, but chauffeur-driven buyers already enjoy full autonomy. It's for these individuals that Mercedes-Maybach, the firm's extra-luxury division, stretched the sedan's wheelbase and gave it an interior worthy of a private jet. Maybach said it developed its variant of the 2021 S-Class specifically for buyers with a chauffeur. It added seven inches to the sedan's wheelbase, and the additional sheet metal benefits those riding in the back. Standard executive rear seats give passengers a comfortable place to work or rest while they're being driven, and the list of new features added to the sedan include massaging calf rests as well as heating for the neck and shoulders. Although we haven't seen Maybach's S-Class yet, a preview image shows the optional two-tone paint — one of the company's hallmarks — and a chromed Maybach emblem. Up front, it will receive a specific grille with vertical slats instead of the horizontal ones worn by the standard S-Class. An additional serving of chrome-look trim will almost certainly further set the Maybach apart, but it will retain its predecessor's relatively subtle design. Specifications won't be announced until the model's unveiling. Mercedes-Benz confirmed it's phasing out V12s, though the big engine could return for one final round under the hood of the S-Class. Alternatively, Maybach may have chosen to surf the downsizing wave still sweeping across the industry by selecting a 4.0-liter V8. Mercedes-Maybach will introduce the 2021 S-Class online on November 19 at 2 p.m. Stuttgart time, which is 8 a.m. in New York City and 5 a.m. in Los Angeles. Deliveries are scheduled to start during the first half of 2021. When it lands, the sedan will join Maybach's variant of the GLS in showrooms across the United States. Related Video: