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Audi readying new crossover to rival the BMW X6

Audi has kicked off development of a new performance-orientated crossover model to directly counter the BMW X6. Set to be called the Q6 when it reaches North American showrooms, the five-seat crossover is rumored to be based around the same all-wheel-drive underpinnings as the second-generation Volkswagen Touareg and the Porsche Cayenne, both of which use a short-wheelbase version of the Volkswagen Group's so-called Colorado platform that in long-wheelbase guise is also used in the Audi Q7. Nothing has been made official, but in an interview with the German media at the Geneva motor show, Audi boss Rupert Stadler alluded to the crossover, saying, “We can imagine a model between the Q5 and the Q7 .

Mercedes GLA goes in to production in Germany

The Mercedes GLA (pictured) goes in to production The new Mercedes GLA – Mercedes’ latest spin-off from the A Class – arrived at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September as an urban SUV come Crossover, extending Mercedes reach in the premium compact sector with a serious competitor in the urban SUV market. With the growing fondness for high-riding cars – and something that’s a bit butch too – the SUV/Crossover take on the Mercedes A Class is a sound way to go and now, with production starting in Germany this week of the new GLA, Mercedes is getting close to having the GLA in customers’ hands. The first GLAs to get in to the hands of customers will probably be the GLA Edition 1 – a launch model with plenty of toys – but the model that will perhaps be most interesting is the GLA 45 AMG, with the promise of the same rufty-tufty compact SUV goodness as the rest of the range but with the 4WD platform and high performance 2.0 litre Turbo from the A 45 AMG.

Ford and Dow Chemical to experiment with carbon fiber

Ford is hatching a weight-loss plan for its cars and trucks that should result in a 750-pound-per-car weight reduction before the end of the decade. The company even hired a “personal trainer,” Dow Chemical, to help it get there. So, what's their plan?