2004 Mercedes-benz G-class G 500 on 2040-cars

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2017 Mercedes E-Class spied nearly camo-free [w/video]

With these spy shots of the 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class we can see the circle is nearly complete: once it arrives, Mercedes will sell the same car in three different lengths. To quote our spy photographers, "The new E-Class is a smaller S-Class. Of if you rather like it the other way around, a bigger C-Class." The E-Class makes its debut at the 2016 North American International Auto Show in Detroit in a couple of months. Being the latest reveal it will also bringing a thick folio of Daimler's technology with it, such as Vehicle-to-X communication, remote control parking via a smartphone app, adaptive cruise control that sets the speed based on road signs, an air bladder that pushes front-seat occupants towards the center of the car before a side impact, an audio system that triggers your eardrum's reflexes to prevent hearing damage in a crash, and NFC-based unlock and vehicle start using your smartphone. For starters. Good luck picking it out from its stablemates, though. The video below captures the car in motion. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Mercedes and VW battling Uber and Apple to spend billions on Nokia mapping division

Whether for autonomous driving or simply better navigation, digital mapping is closely linked with the future of motoring. The sale of a major player in that industry is spurring a showdown between automotive behemoths and tech giants, and it's a fascinating battle to watch unfold. Nokia is selling its Here mapping division, and while the company might not have the name recognition of Google, it controls about 70 percent of the auto market. The business is valued at $785 million, according to Reuters, but is likely to sell for significantly more. Case in point: Uber reportedly submitted a $3 billion bid. Apple has also been rumored to be among those interested in purchasing Here. A trio of German automotive heavyweights is mounting a challenge to Silicon Valley, though. According to Reuters speaking to two unnamed insiders, Daimler, BMW, and Audi are teaming up to submit a joint bid for an undisclosed sum. They're worried that if Here falls under the control of tech companies, then automakers might have limited availability to these vital maps in the future. Nokia bought Here for $8.1 billion in 2007, according to Reuters. The company operates a fleet of vehicles with cameras and LIDAR that drive around the world to create high-definition maps. It also generates even more information by using the GPS data from shipping and trucking companies.

X1, 3 Series power BMW back into global luxury autos sales lead

BMW managed to eke ahead of Audi for the global luxury sales crown in February. According to Bloomberg, BMW saw deliveries swell by 7 percent in February, besting the 3.2 percent jump enjoyed by Audi and giving BMW a 407-unit delivery lead over its rival last month. Mercedes-Benz, meanwhile, continued to falter, with the brand selling some 37,229 fewer machines than BMW, whose factories are running at full capacity to keep up with demand. Models like the X1 (shown above) enjoyed a sales increase of 40 percent in February while the company's bread-and-butter 3 Series jumped by 26 percent.
Mercedes-Benz hopes to stem its continued market share loss with the addition of the entry-level CLA sedan to its portfolio in April. The company is set to roll out an updated version of its cash-cow E-Class at the same time, and a new-generation S-Class will follow along shortly thereafter. Meanwhile, the company is increasing production to meet demand for its A and B-Class models.