AUTOMOBILE101 BLOG

BERLIN/FRANKFURT — A report that U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to pursue German carmakers until there are no Mercedes-Benz rolling down New York's Fifth Avenue dented shares in the luxury car manufacturers on Thursday. An excerpt from German magazine Wirtschaftswoche's article, which cited several unnamed European and U.S. diplomats but did not include any direct quotes, could not be independently verified, while a U.S. Embassy spokesman in Berlin referred questions to Washington. The news and current affairs magazine said Trump had told French President Emmanuel Macron in April that he aimed to push German carmakers out of the United States altogether. Macron's administration in Paris declined to comment on the report. The Trump administration last week opened a so-called Section 232 trade investigation into vehicle imports, which could result in a 25 percent tariff on cars on the same "national security" grounds Washington used to impose met...

Acura returns to its roots to find a winning compact crossover formula. Things have come full circle for the Acura R DX. The compact crossover launched in 2007 with an all-new turbocharged four-cylinder engine and an all-wheel-drive system that was sophisticated enough for the brand to affix the Super Handling designation to it. It was a fun, sporty vehicle in a sea of boring competitors, and we liked it enough to write a eulogy of sorts when the second-generation RDX ditched the fun turbo engine in favor of a V6, and dumbed down its optional all-wheel system so much that they dropped the Super Handling name. Acura's mainstreaming of the RDX for its second generation turned out to be a smart play. Sales jumped 94 percent in 2012, the first year that the redesigned RDX went on sale, leapt another 50 percent the following year, and have stayed over the 50,000 mark for the past three years. It may sound surprising, then, that Acura is flipping the playbook back a few page...

Buying replacement parts for your car; Everything you need to know. Your car suddenly developed a fault and its from a is a single known spoilt part. If this is your first time to shop for a new replacement parts, whatever part it is, there’s a possibility that you may feel somehow intimidated. After all, this is your car! Something you rely on every. A guide below to help you make the right choice and avoid being fooled. ** Should I really go second-hand, or would new be better? The truth is Second hand parts as with second hand vehicles are usually cheaper.  What’s more, you can also usually track down the part specific to your car, even if it’s an older model.  If you’ve got an older vehicle, it may be that your manufacturer won’t have new compatible parts in stock, but this will depend on how rare your car is. The Fact is With new parts, you’ll likely pay more, then you’re to get a bit of additional security. For some owners, that’s worth the extra cost. **How d...

Powered by a 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel engine capable of 190kW/550Nm and mated to a 7G-Tronic PLUS automatic transmission. The top X-Class bakkie sprints from 0 to 100km/h in 7.9 seconds. The V6 has permanent all-wheel drive with drive select.