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European automakers overstate fuel economy by 40% on NEDC cycle

Volkswagen is apparently not alone among European automakers when it comes to giving out funny emissions or fuel economy numbers. It turns out that pretty much everyone across the Pond is doing it. So much, in fact, that, on average, the difference between European vehicles' fuel-economy and emissions figures and real-world driving results is about 40 percent, Bloomberg says, citing a report from Brussels-based Transport & Environment. Yes, 40 percent. Mercedes-Benz was the worst offender, as the Daimler division on average overstated its vehicles' fuel economy by 48 percent, said the study, which used data from International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT). That automaker isn't exactly a world-beater for fuel economy in the US. In fact, two of its models, the Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG and the G550 (pictured), showed up on the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy's (ACEEE) annual list of cars that are "meanest" to the environment. "The information provided by manufacturers on fuel consumption is based on the NEDC test cycle, which is prescribed by law and conducted in a laboratory. Since real driving conditions generally deviate from conditions in the laboratory, the consumption figures can also deviate from the standardized figures. Since T&E has unfortunately not published the test conditions used in its study, it is not possible to provide a useful analysis of the test results," Mercedes-Benz wrote in an e-mailed statement to Autoblog. "The data pool used also does not allow a thorough scientific assessment. Mercedes-Benz emphatically supports the introduction of the WLTP (Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure). This is supposed to replace the NEDC with the aim of bringing the rated fuel consumption and the actual consumption closer together. We also actively support the dialog between industry (ACEA) and the authorities, and are in regular contact with the EPA and the ARB in the US." The ICCT is the group that helped spur the investigation that led to the Volkswagen diesel-emissions scandal we're all still talking about, so it shouldn't expect Christmas cards from the largest German automakers this year. This new study came from data taken from about 600,000 cars. That's a lot of funky air floating over Rome. The overstatements were pretty widespread, too. The fuel-economy of the BMW 5 Series was overstated by almost 50 percent, as was the Peugeot 308's.

Daimler rebuffs Geely offer to buy stake

HONG KONG/BEIJING - Daimler AG has turned down an offer from China's Geely to take a stake of up to 5 percent via a discounted share placement, as the German automaker has long been reluctant to see existing shareholdings diluted, sources with knowledge of the talks said. A stake of that size would be worth $4.5 billion at current market prices. Although Daimler declined the offer, it told Geely it was welcome to buy shares in the open market, the sources added. Carmakers in China have embarked on a flurry of dealmaking, as they scramble to boost production of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles ahead of tough new quotas to be imposed by Beijing, which wants to reduce urban smog and lower the country's reliance on oil. People with knowledge of Geely's thinking said the company was keen to access Daimler's electric car battery technology and wanted to establish an electric car joint venture in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province. Geely, which also owns Swedish car maker Volvo, is still hopeful it can secure a deal in some form over the coming weeks, they added. The two automakers met in Beijing in recent weeks at Geely's behest. There, the Chinese firm, formally known as Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, offered to take a stake of between 3 percent and 5 percent if Daimler would issue new shares at a discount, the sources said. It was not immediately clear what kind of discount for the shares Geely had in mind or whether Geely was interested in buying the shares on the open market. A spokesman for Geely declined to comment. A spokesman for Daimler said the company was "very happy with our shareholder structure at present", but added that it would welcome new investors with a long-term interest in the company. Shares in Daimler were up 1 percent in early Wednesday trade, in line with the broader market.DAIMLER ALREADY TIED TO BAIC, BYD Geely, which has a market value of some $32 billion, is the leading domestic brand in China with a 5 percent market share, according to an analysis by Nomura Securities. A stake of 5 percent would establish it as Daimler's third-largest shareholder behind the Kuwait Investment Authority and BlackRock, who hold 6.8 percent and 6 percent respectively, according to Reuters data.

2017 Mercedes-Benz C300 Coupe Quick Spin

Now that Mercedes has completed its rollout of four-door C-Class variants, it's time to subtract two doors and get down to the business of sport. The sedan smashed the entry-level luxury paradigm by being good enough to (maybe) keep you from aspiring to an S-Class. The C Coupe, on the other hand, wants to keep you from looking sideways, to certain BMW and Audi competitors. Driving Notes An obvious feature it shares with the sedan is its sense of maturity. The sheetmetal and proportions convey gravitas. The long-hood-into-short-tail that is The Mercedes Way gets another handsome showing here. There's an additional 2.4 inches between the bulkhead and the front axle – although to our eye that trim, curt rear end is overwhelmed by the visual weight of the rest of the car. It looks better on the AMG C63, where flared wheel arches put more emphasis in back. The front and rear of the coupe are altered from the sedan design. The crease under the headlights curves down into the lower intakes forming a continuous design element to the bottom of the curved lower lip. In back, the minimal taillights of the sedan get stretched across the fenders and the wider, straighter trunk of the coupe. The two-door is 1.5 inches lower than the sedan. Although the they share the same width, the coupe looks wider from the rear. Other markets will get a choice of four gasoline and two diesel engines. In the United States, we'll get the rear-wheel-drive C300 next spring with its 241 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque, same as in the sedan, with a seven-speed automatic transmission. After that will come a 4Matic version, and in summer comes the AMG C63. Mercedes hasn't broached the subject yet but our market should follow the sedan route, skipping the standard C400 to get the C450 AMG 4Matic with 362 hp and 384 lb-ft. At some point in the undisclosed future, the coupe will be upgraded to the nine-speed automatic. The interior is a delight, but that's what we're used to here – the materials look and feel excellent. The COMAND screen placement is still a hot-button issue, and we think the bezel-to-screen ratio is out of whack. Buyers don't seem to care. This year, the C-Class is just a couple thousand units behind the barn-busting 2013 numbers. In spite of the additional swoopiness versus the previous coupe, the larger size means larger interior dimensions everywhere – trunk space grows by 20 percent.