New Four Seasons Hose Assembly, 56837 on 2040-parts.com

Maybach reaches end of the line

Daimler AG is set to announce the closure of its Maybach ultra luxury brand this weekend, according to reports. The underperforming 57 and 62 limousines are to be killed off in 2013, following a decision from chairman Dieter Zetsche who has elected not to invest in their respective replacements for 2014. Following a concept car preview at the 1997 Tokyo motor show, Maybach was resurrected in 2002 after Daimler AG failed to purchase either Rolls-Royce or Bentley from then owners, Vickers.

Opinion: Discovery Sport and the long-term ramifications of pandering to the crossover convergence

Having pored over the first pictures of the new Land Rover Discovery Sport and consumed the accompanying official literature, we’re left wondering why it shares so much of its design treatment with the Range Rover Evoque, while simultaneously removing the last vestiges of utility from the Discovery nameplate. From its virtually indistinguishable grille and lamp graphics, over its tapered roofline to its bespoilered tail, it’s hard to describe it as anything other than a derivative of the Evoque. The difference between a Discovery and a Range Rover it would seem, is a body coloured C-pillar.

Mercedes GLA: New B Class SUV in 2013

Mercedes GLA based on the new B Class (pictured) Another Mercedes niche car based on the new A Class platform will arrive in 2013 as the compact SUV Mercedes GLA. Mercedes’ nomenclature has got confusing in recent years so it’s quite hard to pin down exactly what they’re likely to call a new car we know is coming but which isn’t yet official. But it does now seem clear that the compact SUV we’ll see from Mercedes in 2013 – and based on the same platform as the new A and B Class – will be the Mercedes GLA.