2018 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet First Look

Mercedes is rounding off its complete overhaul of the E-Class with a new cabriolet model bound for U.S. dealerships later this year. The convertible now offers all-wheel drive and receives many of the same updated technologies as its siblings.

Like the E-Class sedan, coupe, and wagon, the cabriolet has grown in size. It’s now 5.0 inches longer, 2.9 inches wider, and 1.4 inches taller than its predecessor while also expanding 4.4 inches in the wheelbase. Up front, you’ll notice the automaker’s new diamond-block grille, and in the rear slim taillights contribute to a sleeker rear design.

The model still features a fabric soft top, which the automaker says can be opened and closed in 20 seconds while driving at speeds up to 30 mph. When not in use, the top folds down completely into a compartment in the trunk.

Inside the cabin, the E-Class cabriolet offers uniquely designed circular air vents as well as the familiar 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster as standard equipment. The unit, which made its debut on the E-Class sedan, merges the instrument gauges and infotainment system into one screen that floats above the dashboard. New buttons on the steering wheel help navigate radio and other infotainment functions, as does a center console-mounted touchpad that recognizes handwriting commands. Another new feature is the 50/50 folding rear-seat backrests, which create more space for through-loading. Inductive wireless phone charging, a neck-level heating system, massaging seats, and an AMG Line package with sporty body styling complete the list of the top goodies.

As you’d expect, Mercedes is offering a host of interior color options, including a Yacht Blue leather motif. As you might also expect, the E-Class offers the latest safety features including Active Brake Assist as well as evasive steering assist. Active Lane Change Assist helps drivers steer the vehicle into a desired open lane.

The 2018 Mercedes-Benz E-Class cabriolet will launch with a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 engine. Like the previous version, the new E400 cabriolet makes 329 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque. A nine-speed automatic replaces the old seven-speed transmission, and buyers now have a choice between rear-wheel and all-wheel drive. Mercedes hasn’t provided a 0–60-mph estimate for the new E400 cabriolet, but top speed is electronically limited to 130 mph.

The 2018 Mercedes-Benz makes its first appearance at the Geneva International Motor Show before heading to U.S. dealerships late in the year. Pricing will be announced closer to launch.

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Bentley Bentayga Mulliner Takes Decadence to a New Level

Set to debut at the Geneva Motor Show, the 2017 Bentley Bentayga Mulliner is touted as the “Ultimate Luxury SUV” by the maker and we’re inclined to believe them. For those unfamiliar with Mulliner, the coach builder is Bentley’s in-house personal commissioning division, like Aston Martin’s Q line, and takes Bentley’s already insane attention to detail and craftsmanship to even higher levels of luxury and refinement.

How though, does one refine an already well-appointed, 600-horsepower, $200,000 Bentley SUV? This is done by changing a multitude of exterior and interior selections that not only reflect the heritage of Bentley, but also the taste of each individual customer. On the exterior, the Bentayga receives unique 22-inch Paragon seven-spoke wheels with floating wheel centers, a unique set of badges, body colored lower bodywork, and a new bright chrome lower bumper grille. An optional two-tone paint scheme is also available as shown here.

Inside, Bentley and Mulliner have used traditional and modern styles of coach building in the SUV’s design aesthetic. One feature Bentley highlights is the Mulliner’s optional two-tone interior that halves the car as the front and rear seats are finished in different leather colors. This option is available in seven different color schemes and is suggested when the customer options the car with the Duo Tone exterior paint.

The Bentayga Mulliner also features a new Mulliner champagne bottle cooler with Cumbria Crystal flutes integrated into the rear center console. An exclusive veneer, Ombre Burr Walnut, wraps around the interior and throughout special panels and the center console fascia. Additionally, the Bentayga receives a special set of Mulliner tread plates, Bentley’s LED welcome lamps, and a bespoke ambience setting, My Mood, that “allows occupants to choose from 15 different colors, while also adjusting the brightness in doors, armrests, and footwells.”

The Bentayga Mulliner also receives an additional 30 watts from its 1,950-watt, 21-channel Naim audio system that features 20 speakers throughout the cabin. However, nothing is as bespoke as the optional mechanical Mulliner Tourbillon Breitling clock. Using the most complex set of watch mechanisms, the Mulliner Tourbillon features 196 individual pieces and, according to Bentley, “is automatically wound periodically by a dedicated high-precision winding mechanism within the car.” Customers can select their Mulliner Tourbillon in solid yellow, white, or rose gold, and their choice of either mother-of-pearl or a black ebony face with eight diamond indexes.

The car will be on display at the Geneva Motor Show and will be available to order this spring. No word on how much the Mulliner Bentayga will cost, but considering the clock is $154,000, the car will likely be quite expensive.

 

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2018 Range Rover Velar First Look

The Range Rover Velar wears a name that goes right back to the very beginning of Land Rover’s storied luxury off-road dynasty. Velar—from the Latin word for veil or hide—was the name put on prototypes of the original Range Rover sent out for real world testing in the late 1960s. They looked so different from the rough, tough, workhorse Land Rover that company execs figured if they used different badges no one would it guess it was their secret new SUV.

The 2018 Range Rover Velar is perhaps less unexpected. Like the Range Rover Evoque, the stunning Velar looks like it’s driven straight out of Land Rover Chief Design Officer Gerry McGovern’s concept studio. Which is pretty much what happened. “We desperately wanted to hold on to the design vision,” says Velar vehicle line director Kevin Stride. “It’s been an obsession.”

The Velar’s exterior was styled by Italian Massimo Frascella, who in the early 2000s worked with McGovern at Lincoln. You can see echoes of McGovern and Frascella’s Lincoln show cars in the Velar’s sheer surfacing, extravagant proportions, and obsessively reductive detailing. The low roofline, slender LED headlights, and flush door handles that motor outwards like those on a Tesla, help contribute to a drag coefficient of just 0.32. Thus making the Velar the most aerodynamic Land Rover in history.

Inside, everything from instruments to infotainment system to the HVAC settings on the center console is digitally presented on high-resolution screens and hidden from view until the ignition is switched on. The effect is dramatic and modern, and it’s accentuated by innovative material choices that include the option of high-fashion woolen fabric with suede cloth inserts for the seats.

The Velar is a clever mixture of Jaguar and Land Rover hardware. The body structure is based on the aluminum-intensive D7a architecture of the Jaguar XE and XF sedans and the F-Pace SUV, with which the Velar shares its 113.1-in wheelbase. But features such as the height-adjustable air suspension, Terrain Response, and active locking rear differential are all Land Rover.

Although it doesn’t have a low-range transfer case, Land Rover engineers claim the Velar is still more off-road capable than most SUVs. The height adjustable suspension, standard on six-cylinder models, can raise and lower the Velar 3.9 inches to give a maximum ground clearance of 9.9 inches, and it can wade through water more than 2 feet deep. The Velar boasts more wheel travel than the F-Pace, and the finely calibrated Land Rover Terrain Response system delivers better off-road performance.

The Velar will be available with the choice of three engines when it goes on sale in the U.S. this summer. In addition to the 180-hp Ingenium 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo-diesel and 380-hp supercharged 3.0-liter gas V-6 shared with the Jaguar F-Pace, buyers will be offered a turbocharged gas-burning 2.0-liter Ingenium four-banger that develops 247 hp. JLR claims the new engine will propel the Velar to 60 mph in 6.4 seconds, which compares favorably with the 5.3-second 0-60-mph time claimed for the supercharged V-6 version. All engines drive all four wheels through the ubiquitous eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, and the V-6s are speed limited to 155 mph.

Despite its high-style demeanor, the Velar is intended to slot between the Range Rover Evoque and the Range Rover Sport, and it will be available in four trim levels when it goes on sale in the U.S. this summer. The entry level Velar will be very competitively priced at $50,895 but will only be offered with the 247-hp inline-four, and coil-spring suspension. However all three engines will be available in the other trim levels: S, R-Dynamic SE, and R-Dynamic HSE.

With the 2.0-liter gas engine under the hood, the Velar S starts at $55,695, the R-Dynamic SE at $61,095, and the R-Dynamic HSE at $68,595. The 180-hp diesel adds $1,500 to those prices, and the 3.0-liter supercharged V-6 adds $9,500. As with the Jaguar F-Pace, there will be a limited run of 500 First Edition Velars available only for the 2018 model year. Priced at $90,295, these will all come standard with the 380-hp V-6, full two-tone leather interior, copper weave carbon fiber trim, a 1,600W Meridien sound system, special 22-inch alloy wheels, and the choice of three colors including an exclusive satin finish silver from Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations.

Like the haute couture Evoque launched in 2011, the rakish, low-slung Velar is what McGovern calls a white space vehicle for the storied off-road brand. And though he acknowledges other automakers have already launched sporty, coupelike SUVs, JLR execs hope the Velar will emulate the Evoque, 60 percent of which are purchased by women, in terms of attracting new customers behind the wheel of a Range Rover.

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2018 Ford Expedition to Offer Live TV Streaming

Ford is making it easier than ever to watch live TV from the comfort of your vehicle. With the help of SlingPlayer, the all-new 2018 Ford Expedition can stream TV shows and live sporting events on the road.

The available system, called EVO, consists of two 8-inch monitors integrated into the back of the front-seat headrests, a wireless network hotspot, and an industry-first SlingPlayer that allows users to connect to a home cable or satellite system and watch live TV.

SlingPlayer software embedded into the EVO system allows passengers to connect to their Slingbox system at home and control their cable or satellite TV. Passengers can also use the DVD player, HDMI port, USB, or the SD card reader to view additional content. Additionally, streaming video can be sent to the display screens via the system’s SmartStream app on compatible iOS or Android devices.

The available Wi-Fi hotspot supports up to 10 devices at once and isn’t limited to the vehicle since it has a range of up to 50 feet. The system includes two wireless headsets, but it can also transmit sound through the vehicle’s audio system.

As further evidence of the popularity of streaming music, the automaker is axing the CD player in the upcoming subcompact 2018 Ford EcoSport crossover. This will create room for a more upright touchscreen and more storage space for smartphones. Ford believes that the young EcoSport buyers will prefer sourcing music through the available Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM radio, and SYNC Connect instead of using a CD player.

Source: Ford

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