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Germany is finally getting serious about self-driving cars

Germany cleared the way for its giant automotive industry to develop and test self-driving cars, when the upper house of its parliament approved on Friday a law setting out the conditions under which they could take to German roads. Under the law, first mooted by Chancellor Angela Merkel last year, a driver must be sitting behind the wheel at all times ready to take back control if prompted to do so by the autonomous vehicle. Germany is home to some of the world's largest car companies, including Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW, all of which are investing heavily in a technology seen by transport minister Alexander Dobrindt as the "greatest mobility revolution since the invention of the car." That's not to say that German automakers have been standing still in the face of autonomous technology. VW recently outlined its vision for autonomous vehicles. BMW has already demonstrated self-driving vehicles in the United States, and Mercedes-Benz has partnered up with German auto supplier Bosch on autonomous technology. The new legislation allows German car companies to road-test vehicles in which drivers will be allowed to take their hands off the wheel and their eyes off the road to browse the web or check e-mails while the vehicle handles steering or braking autonomously. The legislation requires that a black box record the journey underway, logging whether the human driver or the car's self-piloting system was in charge at all moments of the ride. This will be crucial for apportioning blame in accidents. The driver will bear responsibility for accidents that take place under his or her watch, under the legislation, but if the self-driving system is in charge and a system failure is to blame, the manufacturer will be responsible. The law will be revised in two years' time in the light of technological developments, with data protection and the use of the data collected during rides a key point that has yet to be fully addressed. Companies around the globe are working on prototypes for self-driving vehicles, but such cars are not expected to be available for the mass market before 2020. (Reporting By Markus Wacket; Writing by Thomas Escritt; Editing by Toby Davis) Related Video: Image Credit: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Government/Legal Audi BMW Mercedes-Benz Volkswagen Technology Autonomous Vehicles

Weekly Recap: Automakers rethink the definition of luxury

Variety is the spice of life, but it's becoming a prerequisite for luxury carmakers in the ultra-competitive US market. The Detroit Auto Show was strong evidence of this reality. It's not enough to offer attractive and well-appointed cars and SUVs anymore. Luxury brands that want to be competitive need to invest in everything from high-powered supercars to clever hybrids. To be relevant, you need to be green and mean – and everything in between. As General Motors product chief Mark Reuss said after the reveal of the 640-horsepower Cadillac CTS-V: "We are not leaving anything on the table." He was speaking for Cadillac, but he might as well have been speaking for the luxury car market. The CTS-V debuted in Detroit about an hour after Lexus surprised showgoers with the reveal of the RC F GT3 race car and then announced ambitious plans to return to competitive racing. That almost overshadowed the fact Lexus had just revealed another potent addition to its growing F line, the 467-hp GS F. View 20 Photos But for luxury brands, it's not just about maximum horsepower for well-heeled enthusiasts or decadent amenities for the Grey Poupon set. Strong competition from all corners has forced automakers to refine and expand their lineups in ways unforeseen even a few years ago. Case in point: Mercedes-Benz finally has an answer to the BMW X6, rolling out the GLE coupe in Detroit. The X6, which blends coupe-like styling cues with some of the functionality of an SUV, debuted in 2008. Back then it was a punchline, but seven years and more than 260,000 sales later, the X6's success has compelled Benz to respond. Mercedes – one of the strongest proponents of diesel technology – also debuted the C350 plug-in hybrid sedan, which promises a range of 20 miles on electricity, though fuel economy figures were not announced. The car pairs Mercedes' well-received 208-hp turbocharged four-cylinder with an electric motor for total output of 275 hp and 443 pound-feet of torque. Meanwhile, Infiniti will add the Q30 hatchback to its lineup by the end of the year, new president Roland Kruger reiterated in Detroit. It's expected to be joined by a crossover variant, and the additions will help strengthen Infiniti in the United States and abroad. "While we're expanding our product line, we're also expanding our market reach," he said. That's something echoed by Jaguar executives, who are preparing to launch the brand's first crossover, the F-Pace, in 2016.

2016 Mercedes GLE Coupe priced from $66,025

The folks at Mercedes-Benz are really keeping busy this year with the launch of a host of new products. Among them are a slate of crossovers, including the GLC and GLE-Class. While pricing for those two have already been revealed, the company has finally decided to spill the beans about the cost for the more rakish GLE Coupe. The 362-horepower, 2016 GLE450 AMG Coupe runs $66,025 after the obligatory $925 destination charge on all of MB's vehicles for the model year. That model comes with all-wheel drive, a nine-speed automatic, plus a heap of luxurious standard features. If you want more power, the 577-hp Mercedes-AMG GLE63 S costs $110,225 and includes a more aggressive exterior and Nappa leather interior. Both versions of the German brand's fastback, four-door CUVs arrive at dealers in August. If you're interested, Autoblog has already published full driving impressions for the whole GLE-Class family. While the GLE Coupe is among the newest members of the Mercedes lineup, the G-Class, one of the company's oldest, is seeing some improvements, too. The G550 for $120,825 now benefits from the C63 AMG-derived 4.0-liter V8 making 416 hp and 450 lb-ft, which are gains of 34 hp and 59 lb-ft over the outgoing V8. The SUV also gets styling tweaks, like revised bumpers and larger fender flares. Meanwhile, the G63 AMG offers 563 hp and 560 lb-ft of torque (an extra 27 hp but the same torque as before) for $140,825. The 621-hp G65 AMG tops the range for $218,825. MERCEDES-BENZ ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL 2016 MODEL YEAR PRICING AND PRODUCT UPDATES The unprecedented product offensive continues with a host of exciting new models August 04, 2015 - ATLANTA, Ga. -- Mercedes-Benz USA today announced pricing and product information for the GLC, G-Class, GLE (ML facelift), C450 AMG 4MATIC sedan, and GLE Coupe. This follows the 2016 Mercedes-Benz pricing and model year changes already announced in mid-June 2015. Arriving in dealerships in November 2015, the all-new GLC300 and GLC300 4MATIC represent a compelling new entry in a thriving SUV segment. With a starting MSRP of $38,950*(2WD) and $40,950* (4MATIC) respectively, the all-new GLC features a powerful 2.0 liter turbocharged inline 4 cylinder engine that generates 241hp and 273lb-ft of torque and a new 9-speed automatic transmission.