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Mercedes-Benz backs Smart with ads, deals

Smart USA will launch a TV, print and digital marketing campaign by year end to jump-start the struggling microcar brand that Mercedes-Benz USA took over on July 1. "People are not avoiding the brand or the product, but there is a great majority of people who are not aware of the brand," said Tracey Matura, the new general manager of Smart USA. Mercedes is also offering lease and finance deals for the Smart brand through its Mercedes-Benz Financial Services captive finance arm.

New Land Rover Freelander will actually be a Discovery

It seems – as we expected – that Land Rover are looking to make more sense of their range of off-roaders as new models are launched, and are going to concentrate on three core brands – Range Rover, Discovery and Defender – instead of the current mish-mash where many models really overlap with others (the top end Discoverys are really a cheaper Range Rover). So the next Freelander will become an entry-level Discovery with underpinnings borrowed from the Evoque (which is itself based on the current Freelander platform, a development of the Ford Galaxy’s platform), and arrive in both 5-seat and 7-seat guise, with the new Discovery ’5′ getting a platform based on the new Range Rover and perhaps spawning two models. The new Discovery range will be targeted as a ‘Lifestyle’ core range for Land Rover (much as the original Disco was) and the Range Rover range will be both sporty and luxurious, with a 7-seat Grand Evoque XL joining the current Evoque, Range Rover Sport and Range Rover.

Frankfurt Motor Show 2009 Preview

The Frankfurt Motor Show 2009 runs from 17th -27th September to the public Many of the Japanese makers will be conspicuous by their absence, but that should be more than made up for by the launches from the big European makers. And of course the Koreans – in the guise of Hyundai and Kia – will do what they’re starting to do in the market place and fill the gap left by the Japanese. You can already check out all the stories in one place for The Frankfurt Motor Show 2009, but we thought we’d highlight a few of the cars we know are making an appearance, in case you’ve missed them in the last few weeks.