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Mercedes-Benz GLE gets official before NY Show

Hot off the debut of the GLE-Class Coupe just a few months ago at the Detroit Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz is now all set to unveil that SUV's more utilitarian sibling. The new GLE-Class will offers buyers a model that's a little more traditional looking, while still bringing heaps of available power and luxury to the table. The new GLE-Class replaces the ML-Class in Mercedes' newly renamed lineup. At the front, there's a new nose with a clear family resemblance to the Coupe. It sports big openings all over, and standard models wear an attractive two-bar grille or a just a single crosspiece for AMG trims. Once your eye moves past the A-pillar, the design becomes more of an evolution of the current ML. The prominent C-pillar and wraparound rear glass are still present, while the creases running down the profile appear a little sharper and more pronounced. As you might expect, the interior for the GLE-Class is practically identical to its Coupe counterpart. That means drivers get a thick, multi-function steering wheel to hang on to, and there's a large infotainment display poking up above the dashboard in the center. A center-console-mounted dial controller is found below. When it comes time for buyers to pick their GLE-Class, they're going to have a long list of powertrains to choose from. Lowest in terms of horsepower is the GLE300d 4MATIC with a 2.1-liter, four-cylinder diesel making 201 hp and 369 pound-feet of torque. Next, there is the gasoline-fueled GLE350 with a 3.5-liter V6 making 302 hp and 273 lb-ft, and it's also available with 4Matic. The GLE400 4Matic uses a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 to make 329 hp and 354 lb-ft of twist, and the GLE550e 4Matic adds a plug-in hybrid to that mill to bring total output to 436 hp and 479 lb-ft. Finally, for those that really want some power underfoot, the Mercedes-AMG GLE63 and GLE63 S boast twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8s putting down 550 hp and 577 hp, respectively. The standard models all use versions of the 7G-tronic gearbox, and AMG models get the Speedshift MCT seven-speed. We look forward to getting a good look at the GLE-Class at its grand unveiling at the New York Auto Show on April 1. The posh SUVs start arriving at dealers a few months later in August. Buyers wanting the GLE550e 4Matic have to wait just a little longer until it comes along in mid-September. View 19 Photos View 11 Photos World Premiere for the Mercedes-Benz GLE and Mercedes-AMG GLE63 Efficiency meets performance Stuttgart.

Mercedes previews sleek concept for CES

It was over two months ago that we spotted a mysterious cloaked prototype said to belong to Mercedes, but we didn't know much about it at the time. And we still don't, but at least the German automaker has given us an idea of what to look forward to. Released on Facebook is this teaser image showing a silhouette of what appears to be that same concept car. The image is accompanied only by these few words: "The future will be bolder than you've ever imagined" and tagged by an accompanying #mbCES - which tells us only that, a) it's futuristic, which we already knew, and b) that it's coming to the CES, set to be held around a week from now in Las Vegas. The sleek one-box design appears to have some sort of appendage atop its roof – just the kind of periscope that might house, say, some cameras – leading to speculation that the idea behind this concept would be to showcase autonomous driving technology. We'd also be surprised if it weren't electric powered and – given the backdrop for its reveal – all the technology Daimler can throw at it. But one way or another, we'll be finding out soon, so watch this space. News Source: Mercedes-Benz via Facebook CES Mercedes-Benz Technology Concept Cars

Kimi Raikkonen fastest in first Belgian Grand Prix practice

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium — Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen lapped fastest in first practice for the Belgian Grand Prix on Friday but Mercedes, and title contender Lewis Hamilton, still looked every bit the team to beat. A four-time winner at Spa, and with a contract extension for 2018 announced earlier in the week, Raikkonen lapped the longest track on the calendar with a best time of 1 minute 45.502 seconds. The 37-year-old Finn's time was set on the quickest ultra-soft tires, however, while Hamilton — preparing for his 200th race start — was second-fastest and only 0.053 slower on the soft compound. Hamilton was 0.092 faster than Ferrari's world championship leader Sebastian Vettel, with the German third on the timesheets and also setting his time on the quickest but least durable tire. Vettel leads Hamilton by 14 points with nine races remaining. Red Bull's Dutch teenager Max Verstappen, Belgian-born and attracting a huge traveling support of orange-capped fans, was fourth fastest with Australian team mate Daniel Ricciardo fifth. Hamilton's teammate Valtteri Bottas, who bumped into the tire barrier after going off across the gravel and damaged his front wing, was sixth fastest. The session was halted after 15 minutes when Brazilian Felipe Massa, who missed the previous race in Hungary after feeling dizzy in practice, crashed heavily into the tire barrier at turn seven out of Les Combes. He was taken to the medical center for checks, before returning to the pitlane, with his team facing a long job rebuilding the car. The session resumed after a 10 minute stoppage. Williams said the chassis would have to be changed and the team still hoped to get the car back out on track for some of the day's second session, even if that looked like being optimistic. Fernando Alonso suffered a lack of power in his McLaren, but still ended up 13th fastest. Belgian team mate Stoffel Vandoorne, who will start his home race last on Sunday thanks to a 35 place penalty due to a power unit change, was 10th. Reporting by Alan BaldwinRelated Video: Image Credit: Reuters Motorsports Ferrari McLaren Mercedes-Benz F1 Lewis Hamilton Sebastian Vettel Kimi Raikkonen Max Verstappen Valtteri Bottas belgian grand prix