A round-up of today's other motor stories in brief
Family-friendly CLS takes to the road
At the Paris motor show last year, Mercedes showcased a concept estate version of the CLS four-door coupé, and were quite open about the fact it was all set for production.
The car won a great deal of praise from pundits, retaining the innovative coupé looks but increasing the practicality for family owners.
Now the test cars have been spotted on German roads and the good news is that the styling hasn’t been downgraded from concept to production.
If ever there was an estate that would finally lure Irish buyers to the big-booted format then we suspect this is the car to do it. Not only will it come with the current range of engines in the regular CLS range, there will also be a CLS63 AMG version to whet the appetite.
Known as the CLS Shooting Brake, this stylish estate will make its debut at the Geneva Motor show next March for sales next summer.
European market to shrink again in 2012
Several car-makers are cutting back production or overtime work at their European plants because of weakening market demand – a further indication that the debt crisis is beginning to hit the real economy.
PSA Peugeot Citroen, Renault, General Motors and Ford have all scheduled some non-production days at their European plants this quarter in order to keep inventories tight, amid expectations that the continent’s car market will shrink again in 2012.
Data on European car sales show that they were flat in September. JD Power, the automotive consultancy, estimates that the west European market grew by 0.4 per cent year on year in September.
Analysts are not predicting for this year or 2012 the double-digit drops seen in some car markets after the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008, however, forecasters who had counted on a recovery next year now say it will contract.
New B-Max will match flexibility of its rivals
This is the production-ready Ford B-Max, albeit with a rough camouflage paint. The new model to the Ford range is due for launch next year.
Looking virtually identical to the concept, the production model is based on the Fiesta and should measure 320mm shorter than the C-Max.
In keeping with the flexibility of its rivals such as the recently launched Opel Meriva, the B-Max will feature a sliding rear doors with an integrated B-pillar that offers easy access to the cabin.
Engine options will likely include the usual suspects, but the model could also be offered with the new 1.0-litre EcoBoost three-cylinder unit. This new low-emissions engine is also pencilled in for the Focus.