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Mercedes CLA starts to roll off production line in Hungary

The Mercedes CLA – the baby Mercedes CLS based on the new A Class – has started to roll off the production line at Kecskemét in Hungary. But that’s probably unfair; based as it is on the new A-Class, the CLA is a very good car under the skin, even if its big USP is the dramatic styling. Now, just over a week after the CLA got its first public reveal (if you don’t count the Mercedes Concept Style Coupe on which its based), the first production car has rolled off the line at the Mercedes plant in Kecskemét, Hungary.

For new CAFE rules, automakers place high-stakes tech bets

Game-changing 2015 fuel economy rules are forcing vehicle development teams to make high-stakes bets on expensive technologies--bets that will separate the winners from the also-rans. Not only do federal rules target a 2015 fleet average of 35.5 mpg, up from the current 27.5 mpg for cars and 23.1 mpg for light trucks; they force automakers to bet on different technology packages for each vehicle segment. Companies that do best at mixing technologies while keeping down costs will have an advantage when buyers wince at higher stickers.

Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge concept gets boosted at Geneva

The Infiniti Eau Rouge concept has received a boost in performance since the Detroit auto show. A 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V6 mated with a seven-speed gearbox now sits underhood. That engine seems mighty familiar.