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Europe getting special Mercedes-Benz CLA Edition 1

Last week when we saw the leaked ordering guide for the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class, one particular image caught our eye showing the interior of the new sedan with a neon yellow stripe on the seats and yellow stitching throughout the cabin. As it turns out, this will be part of a limited-edition model called the Edition 1 about which Mercedes-Benz just released some information.
Usually, automakers wait until later in a vehicle's life to introduce special models like this, but the Edition 1 will be available right out of the gate for the first 12 months the CLA-Class is on sale. The 2014 CLA-Class Edition 1 includes the more aggressive Sport package adding AMG-style fascias and wheels, Bi-Xenon headlights and a lowered suspension; it will be offered only in five colors - unfortunately, Northern Lights Purple is not one of them. In addition to the bright yellow cabin accents, the Edition 1 will get sport seats wrapped in leather and microfiber, a sporty, flat-bottom steering wheel wrapped in Nappa leather and real aluminum trim on the instrument panel.
With no mention of the US, we're only left to imagine that this car will not be arriving on our shores, but customers in Europe will definitely be able to enjoy the mean styling and funky interior with prices ranging from 35,402 euros up to 43,940 euros.

Mercedes partners with Lufthansa to design executive jet cabins [w/poll]

Luxury automakers like to crow about their flagship models boasting first-class cabins, but the truly elite class of travelers know there's a class above that. We're talking about private jets, and now Mercedes is applying its skills to those as well. The German automaker isn't building its own jet aircraft. Its design department has, however, collaborated with Lufthansa to create a cabin space for executive jets that looks even more upscale. The concept integrates the walls, ceiling, and floor of the cabin into one fluid, continuous surface, with the furniture similarly integrated into the design with chairs, sofas, beds, and tables. It's even got a fish tank on board and auto-dimming touchscreen glass panels in front of the windows that can control the infotainment system. The design is being showcased by Mercedes-Benz Style and Lufthansa Technik at the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibit (EBACE) in Geneva. It's the same show where Brabus displayed its jet cabin design, rival BMW Designworks did the same, and where the Mercedes' Eurocopter cabin design debuted four years ago. There, Mercedes hopes to attract orders from private customers. If the finished product ends up half as stunning as these design renderings look, we don't doubt they'll find a few takers. Mercedes-Benz Style and Lufthansa Technik develop VIP cabin for short- and medium-haul aircraft: State-of-the-art luxury high above the clouds Stuttgart/Geneva, May 19, 2015 In time for EBACE 2015, which will take place from 19 to 21 May 2015 in Geneva, Mercedes-Benz Style and Lufthansa Technik have announced their cooperation on the design and completion of VIP aircraft cabins. The two companies will jointly develop an entirely innovative, luxurious and integrated cabin concept for short- and medium-haul aircraft. Dynamic architecture instead of traditional interior cabin design: Under the joint approach adopted by the two companies, the traditional separation of ceiling, wall and floor will be entirely replaced by a dynamic, spiral layout. This gives rise to new, independent spatial zones without the typical arrangement of seat and wall elements. The new sense of space is additionally reinforced by Mercedes's typically strong emphasis on contrast in terms of material, colour and lighting. The overall design is characterised by the aesthetic appeal of state-of-the-art luxury embodied in the Mercedes-Benz brand.

Our love of SUVs is killing people in the streets

Americans are fond of supersized fast-food meals and colossal convenience-store fountain drinks, even though they're clearly bad for our health and U.S. adults keep getting fatter. We also like large vehicles, and our love affair with SUVs is killing people in the streets. According to a recent investigation by the Detroit Free Press/USA Today, the increase in SUV sales over the past several years coincides with a sharp rise in pedestrian deaths in the U.S. — up 46 percent since 2009, with nearly 6,000 people killed in 2016 alone. With SUV sales surpassing sedans in 2014 and pickups and SUVs currently accounting for 60 percent of new vehicle sales, it's no wonder Ford announced in April plans to cease U.S. sales of almost all passenger cars. And this followed Fiat Chrysler's move to virtually an all-truck, -SUV and -crossover lineup. While the Freep/USA Today investigation found that the simultaneous surge in SUV sales and pedestrian deaths comes down to vehicle size, it also points to a lack of action on the part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), even though it knew of the dangers SUVs pose to pedestrians. Also blamed are automakers dragging their feet on implementing active safety features. Using federal accident data, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) determined that there was an 81 percent increase in single-vehicle pedestrian fatalities involving SUVs between 2009 and 2016. Freep/USA Today's analysis of the same data by counting vehicles that struck and killed pedestrians instead of the number of people killed showed a 69 percent increase in SUV involvement. As far back as 2001, researchers at Rowan University forecasted a rise in pedestrian deaths as Americans began switching to SUVs. "In the United States, passenger vehicles are shifting from a fleet populated primarily by cars to a fleet dominated by light trucks and vans," the researchers wrote, with light trucks comprising SUVs.