Category Archives: News

News

Smart is considering returning the Roadster to its fleet

Between 2002 and 2005, Smart produced a two-seater sports car, the Smart Roadster, and approximately 43,000 units left the production line before the model was discontinued. Two decades later, rumors surfaced of its return as an all-electric car.

“A colleague created the first drawings of the new Roadster. We have three great cars, and none of them are Roadsters. But why not? If we produce a Roadster, be sure that it will be very compact and a two-seater,” said the CEO of smart Europe GmbH Dirk Adelmann.

The idea of ​​returning Rosadster to the fleet appeared four years ago, and in the meantime the Chinese company Geely bought 50% of Smart. However, the manufacturer did not give up the idea of ​​starting the production of this model, so we could see its production version soon.

Smart in its fleet currently has models #1, #3 and #5, and soon a new generation of ForTwo models could arrive on the market, if the company finds a partner. The car should be built on the ECA (Electric Compact Architecture) platform, and entering this “adventure” is a big financial pressure for the German company, so the search for a partner is ongoing.

Source: Smart

News

2025 Cadillac Escalade

At the end of the 90s, Cadillac introduced a luxury SUV, the Escalade, as a response to other luxury SUVs such as the Mercedes-Benz M-Class, Range Rover or Lexus LX. After five generations, Cadillac launched a refreshed edition of this model.

The Escalade is a huge SUV with a length of over 5.5 meters, which now comes with a new front end, slim LED headlights, a new illuminated logo on the grille, adaptive air suspension, Magnetic Ride Control 4.0 system and Super Cruise system for semi-autonomous driving. Buyers can choose between new 22″ and 24″ wheels, as well as three new body colors: Aegean Stone Green, Deep Sea Blue Metallic and Latte Metallic Light Bronze. It should also be noted that the doors can be set to open automatically when approaching the car, as well as that they can be automatically closed when the brake pedal is touched.

Inside, the cabin is equipped with a massive 55″ screen that extends the entire width of the dashboard, and is divided into two parts: 35 inches for the driver and 20 inches for the passenger. Cadillac has not forgotten the passengers in the back, who can now enjoy a 12.6″ touchscreen if they opt for the Executive Second Row package.

When it comes to the powertrain, Cadillac decided to drop the 3.0-liter diesel engine from the lineup. So buyers can now choose between the 6.2-liter V8 engine with 420 hp (313 kW) and 459 lb-ft (623 Nm) of torque, which powers the standard Escalade, and the supercharged 6.2-L V8 engine with 682 hp ( 508 kW) and 653 lb-ft (885 Nm) of torque, which powers the Escalade-V.

The prices of the refreshed editions are not known.

Source: Cadillac

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2025 Cadillac Escalade
News

Dacia Sandero is Europe’s No.1 new car in the first six months of 2024

In 2023, Dacia delivered more than 650,000 vehicles worldwide, of which 550,000 in Europe, with a record market share of 4.3 percent in the passenger vehicle segment. Their best-selling car was and still is the Dacia Sandero, which recorded a 16 percent increase in sales in the first six months of 2024.

Dacia has been recording sales growth for years and has become the leading brand of the Renault Group. In the first half of 2024, the Romanian manufacturer delivered 143,596 units of its best-selling car, the Sandero, making it the best-selling new car on the old continent. The second place went to the Volkswagen Golf, which was delivered in 125,993 units (+43 percent), while the third choice of European customers is the Renault Clio with 114,623 cars delivered (+15 percent).

This is an exceptional result for a Romanian brand that has a 4.4 percent market share in Europe, especially if we consider that it left behind much bigger manufacturers like Kia which delivered 282,444 cars (4.1% market share), Hyundai with 281,511 cars (4.1%), Opel with 233,601 cars (3.7%), Ford with 226,365 cars delivered (3.3%) or Citroen with 223,382 cars (3.2%).

In general, Dacia delivered a total of 305,713 cars in the six months of 2024, which is an increase of 3.6% compared to the same period last year. This puts them in the top 10 best car dealers in Europe.

Also, research has shown that Dacia has the most loyal customers. According to Dataforce, almost 80 percent of current Dacia customers in Germany would buy their car again. Also, indicators show that the percentage of their loyal customers is 20 percent above the average in the auto industry.

Source: Dacia