Arias Pistons 12.5:1 Compression 82mm Bore Honda B-series on 2040-parts.com

New Mercedes A Class: Production increased to meet demand

With over 70,000 orders already in the pipeline for the new Mercedes A Class, Mercedes are increasing production to meet demand. The increase in production at Mercedes plant in Rastatt, Germany, means adding a third shift to effectively increase production by almost 50 per cent and make a dent in the 70k plus orders Mercedes already has for the new A Class. That’s in stark contrast to the recent news that Mercedes is having to slash production of the S Class as sales falter, partly due to a new S Class in the pipeline for 2013 but also because buyers are falling in love with more compact offerings.

Audi Q1 sub-compact SUV in 2016

The new Audi Q1 will look like a smaller Q3 (pictured) There was a time when saloon cars ruled the car sales charts, but they eventually went out of fashion to be replaced by the more practical hatchback. But, despite the demonising of the SUV by ‘green’ groups, compact SUVs/Crossovbers have become the favourite flavour for car buyers as they seek something practical and with the promise of a bit of go anywhere credentials (even if they are cosmetic rather than mechanical). So it’s no surprise to see cars like the Nissan Juke, Peugeot 2008 and Renault Captur starting to grab sales from small hatches.

Ford Explorer (2011) launches +video

The 2011 Ford Explorer Because it’s unlikely we will get the 2011 Ford Explorer on this side of the Pond, we haven’t covered its interminable tease in any real detail. Yes, we reported on the 2011 Explorer getting Ford’s new Curve Control, an electronanny designed to cure understeer, but we didn’t report every silly photo Ford released. But not being thorough on reporting a really boring and drawn out tease is one thing, but we can’t ignore the launch of a new version of a vehicle that until quite recently was selling almost 500k a year.