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Mercedes says it's tops in luxury sales for 2012, not BMW

It turns out that Mercedes-Benz North America has legitimate claim to being the top selling luxury nameplate in the US in 2012.
While sources such as Autodata had put BMW in the top spot, registration data from R.L. Polk shows that Mercedes customers registering new vehicles topped the Bavarian automaker in the most recent calendar year. Polk says Benz posted 274,123 registrations, compared with BMW's 268,498.
In terms of sales posted, BMW had bested Benz 281,460 to 274,134. But sales are recorded somewhat inconsistently from automaker to automaker. Some book the sales as soon as they are shipped from factory to dealer. There is perennial gamesmanship between the two German rivals, and the sales numbers suggest that BMW pushed out some extra sheetmetal to dealers in the last four weeks of the year.

Mercedes CLA a sub-$30k car no more

To be honest, the sub-$30,000 Mercedes-Benz CLA was more a theoretical than a real thing. Squeaking in at $100 below that magical threshold, not counting a $925 destination charge, snagging a CLA anywhere near $30k meant exercising extreme self-control with the options catalog. Perhaps with that thinking in mind, Mercedes is set to effectively scrap the entire idea, with Cars Direct claiming the price on a new CLA is set to increase by about five percent, to $31,500. Adding 4Matic all-wheel drive brings the starting price to $33,500. Even the hot CLA45 AMG is getting a price bump, from $47,450 to $48,500. Frankly, it's impossible to miss where Mercedes is coming from with this move, if it actually happens. The CLA has been one of 2014's unmitigated success stories, selling so well that Mercedes has struggled to keep up with demand. Considering that, a modest price hike is to be expected.

Mercedes GLE-Class shows a new face for the luxury crossover in NYC

Segments don't get much hotter than luxury crossovers at the moment, and that makes for some perfect timing for Mercedes-Benz to unveil the GLE-Class at the 2015 New York Auto Show. As a replacement for the M-Class, the new model offers a more traditional looking alternative to the styling of its swoopy sibling, the GLE-Class Coupe. Mercedes' designers crafted a nose for the GLE that gives it a strong family resemblance to the Coupe, but the rest of the shape bears a chunky, more utilitarian appearance. Elsewhere, the new model sticks with the thick C-pillar and wraparound rear glass of the outgoing M-Class but with sharper edges for a slightly more muscular look. Stepping inside, occupants find all of the German luxury brand's latest styling cues. Mercedes is making a major commitment to adding more plug-in hybrids to its vehicles in the coming years, and the GLE is one step in that process. The lineup includes the GLE550e 4Matic that pairs a 3.0-liter, twin-turbo V6 with electric assistance to produce a total of 436 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. The German brand isn't going entirely green, though, and the range also includes the Mercedes-AMG GLE63 and GLE63 S, powered by a twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8 that produces 550 hp or 577 hp, respectively. Check out the photos above from the show floor to get a full look at this upscale crossover before it arrives at dealers later this year.