2018 Mercedes-Benz GLB crossover

The Mercedes-Benz GLB is set to become the latest addition to the manufacturer’s SUV line-up after a test mule was spotted.

Mercedes is yet to officially confirm the model, but a production version is likely to sit above the GLA crossover and below the larger GLC SUV in terms of size.

The GLB, which is unlikely to launch before 2018, is a relation of the B-Class MPV, but is likely to sit on the same platform as the A-Class hatchback and GLA crossover.

This means front-wheel drive is likely to be standard on most models, with all-wheel drive an option on top-spec cars, while a similar engine line-up to the GLA is also expected.

The GLB would be a more spacious and practical SUV than the GLA, but would lie in quite a niche market with no direct premium rivals. Crossovers like the Audi Q3 and BMW X1 are more natural rivals for the smaller, style-focused GLA, while the Audi Q5 and BMW X3 rival the GLC SUV.

Mercedes' SUV line-up already includes the G-Class, GLE and GLS alongside the GLA and GLC.

Source: autocar.co.uk

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New Renault Megane; on sale now

Renault Megane 's all-new family hatch is available to order now with UK dealer deliveries this summer

Renault has finally revealed UK prices and specs of its new Megane five-door hatch. The Vauxhall Astra rival is available to order now from £16,600, with deliveries in July.

We drove the new Megane late last year, but Renault has waited until now to reveal market-specific pricing details. That £16,600 pricetag is slightly more than the Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra, but it nets you a more powerful 128bhp 1.2-litre TCe turbo petrol. That manages a 0-62mph time of 10.6 seconds and 52.3mpg combined.

Renault has also confirmed a 'Hybrid Assist' petrol-electric powertrain, as well as a more powerful 'dCi 165' diesel, will arrive in 2017. The Sport Tourer estate will go on sale later this year. 

Standard kit on base Expression models includes air-con, cruise control, Bluetooth, electric windows front and rear, LED daytime running lights, active city braking and alloy wheels. The 1.5 dCi 110 diesel costs £1,300 more than the petrol, but manages a a claimed 76.4mpg and emits 96g/km of CO2.

Step up to Dynamique Nav for an extra £1,500 (as most are expected to) and you get a seven-inch portrait touchscreen with sat-nav and an uprated sound system, rear parking sensors, climate control, auto lights and wipers, lane departure warning and traffic sign recognition.

Dynamique S Nav, starting from £19,100, adds 17-inch alloys and tinted glass, while Signature Nav brings 18-inch alloys, leather and full LED headlights. Both also receive a larger 8.7-inch touchscreen. GT-Line Nav builds on the same kit levels but adds styling details from GT spec.

The flagship GT Nav trim is £25,500, with a sportier exterior look and most of the options boxes ticked. Further engines include a 1.6-litre diesel engine with 128bhp (from £20,600) and a 1.6-litre THP turbo petrol with 202bhp. 

That's not set to be the fastest Megane for long, though - Renaultsport is reading a storming 300bhp, 4WD answer to the Honda Civic Type R for launch by 2018.

The curvy design of the Megane shares cues with the recently-revealed Talisman and Espace, but also falls in line with the latest Renault cars that are available in the UK like the new Kadjar crossover and popular Clio supermini. 

At the back, the rising waistline and slim rear windows meet the unusual rear lights that stretch across almost the full width of the rear of the car. Top-spec models will boast an LED light signature to top things off.

The new Megane is 25mm lower than the previous model, as well as being 47mm wider at the front and 39mm wider at the rear. It makes the car look much sportier and more purposeful than before, and should help it compete with design-focused competitors like the SEAT Leon and Audi A3. The wheelbase is 28mm longer, too, which will make the car more spacious for both front and rear passengers.

Lead designer Laurens Van Den Acker told Auto Express he wanted the new Megane to be “aspirational”, with the brand benchmarking its new family hatchback against high-quality rivals like the Volkswagen Golf and Peugeot 308.

“This is a serious segment”, Van Den Acker told us. “The new Megane should be seen as a D-segment sibling rather than the Clio’s brother.”

Renault has openly acknowledged that quality was one of the main criticisms of the current car, and will hope to build on the success of its Clio and Captur with its all-new family hatch.

Isabelle Marchand, director of perceived quality at Renault told us: “We wanted to place the new Megane at a very high level of quality. Quality starts at the beginning – it cannot be an afterthought.

“We started with the Clio and each model is a step-by-step progression. The Megane project has been on-going for more than three years.”

Source: autoexpress.co.uk

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2016 Hyundai Genesis Sedan full details

In the early 1980s, the band Huyndai Genesis pulled off one of the most difficult feats in show business: turning a critically revered nerd-rock outfit with lukewarm U.S. sales into a multi-platinum-selling household name. By the end of the decade, the band’s place in pop culture was secured. In the automotive realm, Hyundai built its domestic following on the back of economical transportation devices—minus the critical acclaim—and is now hoping its excellent new Genesis sedan will find a ubiquitous place in the consciousness of luxury-sedan buyers.

Calibration Is Key

Introduced for the 2009 model year, the first-gen Genesis earned its share of fans, but its chassis lacked the chops to play with the best in the segment. And so, for the Genesis’s 2015 redesign, Hyundai brought in Lotus to put an invisible touch on a laundry list of bits that includes the anti-roll bars, dampers, springs, engine mounts, subframe bushings, and even the calibration of the electric power steering, which now utilizes a rack-mounted motor.

The results are tangible: Broken and pitted pavement that caused the previous car to go weak in the knees is handled adroitly, the independent front and rear suspension soaking up bumps and keeping even harsh impacts well isolated. The steering is nicely matched to this sedan’s luxury mission. Weighty, direct at 2.5 turns lock-to-lock, and devoid of twitchiness, it offers linear response and decent on-center feel. It does, however, lack the feedback we’d prefer in spirited maneuvering.

Fitted with 18-inch Hankook Ventus S1 Noble2 245/45 all-season tires, our rear-wheel-drive test vehicle managed to pull 0.87 g on the skidpad, the same number achieved by the 2012 Genesis sedan R-Spec. Perhaps more telling are the comments of the test driver, who described the car’s behavior as “surprisingly neutral and composed.”

A large portion of Hyundai’s U.S.-market aspirations for the Genesis rest on the shoulders of the V-6 model. You can of course order the V-6 Genesis with all-wheel drive—and that’s what many Snow Belters will do—but the rear-drive car tested here is expected to deliver 55 to 60 percent of six-cylinder sales. Carried over from the 2014 Genesis, the V-6 loses 22 horsepower (now 311) and gains 2 lb-ft of torque (now 293 lb-ft) from last year, with Hyundai citing a greater focus on flat torque curves, improved low-end response, and overall drivability rather than spec-sheet racing. The company also is quick to point out that the car delivers its output with regular 87-octane fuel and that premium is not required.

We love the smooth, solid feel of the bottom-hinged accelerator; it’s hefty enough that you can tap out a tune on it while cruising without affecting vehicle speed, but the pedal is completely linear in operation when you apply real pressure. Speaking of matting it, our Genesis sprinted from 0 to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds and covered the quarter-mile in 14.4 at 100 mph—not too shabby for a 4230-pound sedan. (Those who need even more urgency can check out the rear-drive-only, 420-hp Genesis V-8.) The V-6 is a smooth operator and combines with the slick-shifting eight-speed automatic and quiet interior to make this Hyundai a great long-haul companion. EPA-rated at 18 mpg in the city and 29 on the highway, our combined mileage came in at 19 mpg, which isn’t surprising considering the amount of in-town action the Genesis saw while in our care.

Content Is King

Unusual for press vehicles, our Genesis V-6 arrived with no added-cost options, perhaps reflecting Hyundai’s confidence in its value proposition. The only line item on our $38,000 invoice was the $950 destination charge, so the as-tested MSRP was $38,950. But make no mistake, the Genesis isn’t a penalty box, as it includes a navigation system with an eight-inch screen, a backup camera, leather-trimmed seats (12-way power adjustable and heated in front), a leather-wrapped tilting and telescoping steering wheel, rain-sensing wipers, proximity entry and start, auto headlamps, power outside mirrors with puddle lamps, Bluetooth connectivity, dual automatic climate control, and more.

The Genesis’s direct competition, such as it is, starts many thousands of dollars higher—before being fitted with much of the above equipment at extra cost. While value alone may not be enough to entice brand loyalists away from established cars like the BMW 5-series and the Mercedes-Benz E-class, Hyundai tellingly reports that the most in-demand model is the fully loaded V-6 Ultimate, which runs $49,950 and includes basically any luxury tchotchke you can think of. With the latest Genesis, mixing a tried-and-true value proposition with satisfying driving dynamics has paid off—no matter how you spec it.

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