Bentley’s new Bentayga arrives later this year and will offer the brand’s first diesel engine (but not in the U.S.) and, eventually, a plug-in hybrid option. Some 4,000 hand-raisers are interested in the SUV....More
With mass-market cars now offering LED lighting, Bluetooth connectivity and even Alcantara fabrics, performance is where many luxury brands are trying to stand out....More
Germany’s ZF provides rear-steering as standard equipment on four Porsche models, and four other customers will use the supplier’s technology within the next two years....More
ZF hosted journalists for a 1-day TechAcademy at a former runway in Greenville, SC, to demonstrate its capabilities in chassis and driveline technologies. Eight-speed, 9-speed and dual-clutch transmissions were among the systems evaluated, as well as rear-wheel steering.
In the U.S., Mercedes is offering an electric B-Class, and California customers can lease a B-Class powered by hydrogen fuel cells as part of a pilot lease program....More
If the Cayenne proved to be an easy layup for German engineers who knew nothing about SUVs, then the Macan is Air Jordan soaring through the lane, tongue wagging, ball raised like a lethal tomahawk about to find its target....More
Derived from the capable Audi Q5, the Macan proves Porsche’s absorption into the VW Group in 2012 hasn’t been all bad. Yes, it unflinchingly carries over the Q5’s general shape, but there the similarities end.
The German luxury brand marked its second-best month ever in the U.S. in June, driven by a successful launch of its all-new A3 entry model. With more models on the way, the outlook for the rest of 2014 appears bright....More
Too many marketing dollars are wasted on customers who would have bought the vehicle anyway, John Krafcik says. By aiming incentives only where needed, automakers could free up billions....More
Alan Batey says he hopes to capitalize on the new strength he sees between GM and its dealers after last year’s recall crisis brought the sometimes adversaries closer together....More
The two spent about the same amount of money on TV advertising in 2014, but Audi bought nearly 5,000 more national airings across more than twice the number of networks....More
Stakeholders need to stay ahead of the regulatory curve, as laws on the state and federal levels will change in tandem with technological developments....More
