2001 Mercedes-benz Clk430 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK250 Bluetec gets 33 mpg, priced from $38,950*

It's been more than a year since we first saw the 2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK250 Bluetec unveiled at the 2012 New York Auto Show, but it looks like the compact diesel crossover is finally starting to roll into dealerships. Those wanting to buy a diesel GLK will only have to pony up an extra $1,500 over a base, gas-powered GLK350, as the GLK250's starting price is listed at $38,590 (*not including $905 destination charge).
The turbocharged 2.1-liter four-cylinder diesel produces 200 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, and Mercedes-Benz has also provided some fuel economy numbers for this model, with claimed EPA estimates of 24 miles per gallon city and 33 mpg highway. There is no listing for the GLK250 on the EPA's website yet, but the figures represent significant increase over the GLK350's lackluster 19 mpg city and 25 mpg highway figures, which are for the rear-wheel drive model. The GLK250 comes standard with the 4Matic all-wheel-drive system - a $2,000 option on GLK350 - meaning that if you want an all-wheel-drive version of the 2013 GLK, it's actually cheaper to opt for the diesel model. Head over to the Mercedes-Benz site for the full 2013 GLK-Class configurator.

Mercedes-Benz expands GLC production to Valmet in Finland

Mercedes assembles the GLC (alongside several other model lines) at its plant in Bremen, Germany, just like its predecessor. But starting in 2017, it will also begin outsourcing additional production of the compact crossover to Valmet in Uusikaupunki, Finland. The move is earmarked to give the German automaker additional capacity, especially as it rolls out a right-hand-drive version for markets like the UK, Australia, and Japan. The new GLC was introduced this year as the successor to the GLK and crossover counterpart to the C-Class. It slots into Benz's realigned SUV lineup above the smaller GLA and below the larger GLE and GLS models. A four-door coupe variant is also expected to follow. Like the GLK before it, the GLC is assembled in Bremen, where Mercedes also builds the C-Class, the two-door versions of the E-Class, and the SL and SLK roadsters. This isn't the first crossover whose production Mercedes has outsourced, nor is it the first time it has contracted Valment for automotive assembly. Though only offered in China at this point, the R-Class is built by AM General in South Bend, Indiana. And the G-Class is assembled by Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria. Aside from past clients like Porsche and Fisker, Valmet has also produced the A-Class for Mercedes since 2013, and will continue to do so, albeit at a reduced output in order to focus on the new crossover.Related Video:   Manufacturing contract for Valmet Automotive: Mercedes-Benz Expands Production Capacities for the GLC Stuttgart, Germany, Nov 26, 2015 - From 2017, the new GLC will also roll off the line in Uusikaupunki, Finland. - The Bremen plant continues to be the main production plant. - Markus Schafer, Member of the the Divisional Board Mercedes-Benz Cars, Produktion and Supply Chain Management: "Working with contract manufacturers is an important factor in our global production strategy at Mercedes-Benz Cars." Mercedes-Benz is continuing its growth strategy and expands production capacities for the new GLC. The main production facility continues to be the Mercedes-Benz plant in Bremen, Germany, where the GLC has been produced since July. The Finnish contract manufacturer Valmet Automotive will produce additional volumes of the new mid-range SUV from 2017, at its plant in Uusikaupunki.

VW, Fiat, Mercedes could be CNG winners in Europe

Fiat ads in the US try to play up the exotic, sexy side of Italian culture. On the home front in Italy, however, passenger-vehicle sales are marked by something less edgy and quite a bit more practical: the growth of compressed-natural-gas (CNG) powered car sales. In fact, Italy is leading a group of European countries where CNG sales are on the upswing and may be benefiting automakers like VW, Fiat and Mercedes-Benz, according to Automotive News. VW started sales of its Golf TGI natural-gas vehicle this year – the company's fourth in Europe – while Mercedes-Benz added a natural-gas B-class model. Fiat accounts for about 50 percent of CNG vehicles sold on the continent. In all, Europe's CNG sales through September totaled about 67,000, up seven percent from a year earlier, Automotive News Europe says, citing research firm JATO Dynamics. And the number of CNG vehicles on Europe's roads could jump tenfold within the next decade. The draw is a combination of lower refueling prices and a CNG drivetrain that typically emits less CO2 than diesel vehicles. As for Italy, about five percent of new-vehicle sales are CNG. To put that into perspective, hybrids, battery-electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and diesels combined to account for about 4.2 percent of US vehicle sales last year. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Volkswagen Green Fiat Mercedes-Benz Volkswagen Natural Gas Vehicles CNG