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Mercedes-Benz launching midsize pickup by end of decade

The pickup is about to get a rethink from Germany. In a rather surprising announcement, Mercedes-Benz says that it's planning to have a midsize truck on the market before the end of the decade. Before you get too excited to drive a pickup with the brand's famous star on the grille, there's some disappointing news. Mercedes is quite clear that the US isn't among the intended markets for the midsize truck, and the company specifically outlines the model for Latin America, South Africa, Australia and Europe. Also, this is a product being developed by the more commercially-minded Mercedes-Benz Vans division responsible for the Sprinter and upcoming Metris. With that in mind, don't expect the interior of an S-Class with a bed in the rear. In fact, at the moment Mercedes isn't giving away many details about its truck, although the company suggests a payload capacity of around 2205 pounds. Inciting this development is the current boom in the midsize truck segment. We're seeing that happen with models like the latest Ford Ranger, the next Toyota Hilux (in development) and a future FCA vehicle. "As part of our 'Mercedes-Benz Vans goes global' strategy, the pickup is the ideal vehicle for the international expansion of our product range with a newly developed model," division boss Volker Mornhinweg said in the brand's announcement. Rumblings of a possible Mercedes pickup came up years ago as a possible partnership with Nissan, but those reportedly would have been badge-engineered models. This latest truck appears to be something wholly Mercedes. "We will enter this segment with our distinctive brand identity and all of the vehicle attributes that are typical of the brand with regard to safety, comfort, powertrains and value," said company boss Dieter Zetsche. Get ready for the Mercedes-Benz among pickups: Mercedes-Benz Vans to launch midsize pickup Stuttgart, Mar 27, 2015 Expansion of product range for sustained global growth Market for midsize pickups primed for first model from a premium manufacturer Mercedes-Benz to enter the high-volume midsize segment before end of decade Main markets: Latin America, South Africa, Australia, and Europe Stuttgart – Before the end of the decade, Mercedes-Benz will expand its product range into a promising segment by launching the first pickup from a premium manufacturer. Thanks to their versatility, all-round utility, and payload of about one metric ton, pickups are popular across the world and thus have good sales potential.

Mercedes A-Class refresh includes crown-stealing 381-hp A45 AMG

We're sure the 362-horsepower Audi RS3 Sportback enjoyed its brief reign at the top of the hot-hatch horsepower charts. But now, Mercedes-Benz updated the A-Class so that it reclaims the throne, castle, and jewels: the Mercedes-AMG A45 4Matic comes with 381 hp from its turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, a significant bump of 36 hp, and 350 pound-feet of torque, an increase of 18 lb-ft. The seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox gets shorter ratios from third to seventh gears, so its 0-62 mile-per-hour time has dropped from 4.6 seconds to 4.2 seconds. The A45 gets a Dynamic Select system – driving modes controlled by a rotary knob – that comes standard with four modes: Comfort, Sport, Sport +, and Individual. Opt for the AMG Dynamic Plus package and you get a mechanical locking differential on the front axle, the two-stage AMG Ride Control sport suspension with adaptive damping, and a Race mode. Outside, additional aero aids are applied to the nipped-and-tucked bodywork changes made to the entire A-Class range. The spoiler lip under the new front bumper, rear roof spoiler, and rear diffuser, create more downforce than before. Inside, the new flat-bottomed steering wheel is joined by sport seats that allow bolster depth adjustment. And for all those upgrades, fuel economy has stayed the same at 6.9 liters per 100 kilometers on the European cycle. Even away from that tectonic shift, Mercedes made plenty of changes to the A-Class landscape. The new front bumper is said to be "more arrow-shaped," in homage to the the Concept A-Class from 2011, that stretches its look horizontally. LED headlights, standard on the A45, are optional here, and are paired with interior ambiance lighting. In back we get new taillights and some angular exhaust finishers laid into a diffuser-like insert, an alteration we're seeing across the entire Mercedes line-up. Inside, you'll find a redesigned instrument cluster with new graphics, higher-quality finishes on the switchgear, seats with adjustable bolster length, and new color options. Four driving modes are incorporated into the Dynamic Select system: Comfort, Sport, Eco, and Individual. The Eco mode has been tweaked to return even more fuel savings. This Mercedes is also the first to incorporate Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink for the non-iOs smartphoners.

Consumer Reports selling its road-tested roadsters [w/video]

Here's a chance to acquire a celebrity-owned vehicles, and this time at a discount instead of a premium. So the celebrity in this case is Consumer Reports, that magazine that could be equally adored and abhored by car enthusiasts. CR buys all of its test vehicles and usually finds willing second owners within its own ranks, but its opening its small used-car lot to the public. On the forecourt are four roadsters: an automatic 2012 Audi TT 2.0 TFSI Quattro S-Tronic with 6,600 miles for $36,500, a manual 2012 BMW Z4 sDrive28i with 8,400 miles for $45,000, a manual 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK250 for $39,500 and a manual 2013 Porsche Boxster with 7,000 miles for $48,000.
Those numbers mean a savings of $9,000 to $10,000 before haggling - each car is listed with an "Asking price" so there could be some wiggle room if you show up with pockets full of dough and eyes full of serious intent. Since the money CR earns from the sales go back into the magazine's budget to buy more test cars, however, it probably won't take any oddball trades, so you can forget about getting any purchasing help from that track-day AMC Javelin project on blocks in the back yard.
The vehicles have been taken care of and spiffed up for sale; buyers will take delivery at the CR test track in East Haddam, Connecticut and get a tour of the facilities. While you're there they'll even take you on a lap around the track so you can feel how your car handles when driven by one of its testers. They will probably not help you with advice on which toaster and dehumidifier to buy - you'll still need to get a subscription for that. Have a look at the video below to see a day in the life of a CR test car.