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Snow cars: The AW list of winter warriors

Having the proper gear is important when it gets cold and the snow starts to fall--coats, hats, gloves and cars. With that in mind, AutoWeek offers this list of sure-footed rides for the winter. Some have higher sticker prices--we're looking at you, Range Rover--but most are fun, economical rides that will get you through the deepest doldrums of winter.

New Mercedes B-Class Electric Drive goes in to production

The first Mercedes B-Class ED (pictured) rolls off the production line in Rastatt With the BMW i3 grabbing headlines – and flying out of showrooms – as BMW’s first electric car, Mercedes need to play catch-up with a convincing EV of their own, and that’s the new B-Class Electric Drive – an EV version of the regular B-Class – which has now gone in to production in Germany. Built alongside regular ICE versions of the B-Class at Mercedes’ Rastatt Plant, the B-Class ED (Electric Drive) looks practically the same as its more conventionally powered siblings – although the front bumper does look a bit different – and has an electric motor good for 177 bhp and 250 lb/ft of torque, can manage a scoot to 62 mph in 7.9 seconds and has a range of up to 124 miles. The range – at least the quoted range – is a chunk better than the BMW i3′s and on a par with the latest Nissan LEAF, thanks to EV technology provided by Tesla, and the wrapping of an EV drivetrain in a conventional series production car could appeal to more buyers than the ‘statement’ design of the BMW i3.

Hyundai i30 GT with 1.6 Turbo planned?

Are Hyundai planning a hot hatch i30 GT? (5-door 2012 i30 pictured) It’s reported that Hyundai are planning a hot hatch GT version of the 3-door i30 due in 2013 with a 200bhp 1.6 litre turbo. With all the progress Hyundai has made in the last few years to become a credible threat to mainstream cars from Europe and Japan, the next step must be in the performance and luxury realm.