Mercedes Exec Says Big Screens Aren't Luxurious but Won't Ditch Them - Related to says, big, fuels, mustang, calls

Ford 'Mach 4' Trademark Fuels Future Mustang Sedan Rumors

Ford filed a new trademark with the USPTO that could point to a Mustang sedan being built in the near future.

The organization filed to trademark the name "Mach 4," conjuring images of Ford's iconic pony car stretched to accommodate a set of rear doors.

The idea of a four-door Mustang isn't totally new, the corporation has been selling an electric SUV called the Mustang Mach-E for four years, after all.

Automotive subbrands are all the rage these days. Everyone's got one. GMC spun off the Hummer into its own thing, Jeep revived the Wagoneer as its own brand, and Chevy is reportedly preparing to spin Corvette into a standalone brand. Thanks to the introduction of the Mustang Mach-E several years ago, Ford also knows how to transform a popular nameplate into something new.

Now, a new study from Ford Authority revealed that Ford has applied for a new trademark with the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) for the name "Mach 4." The application was filed on February 25. , the trademark covers "Motor vehicles, namely gasoline and electric automobiles, pickup trucks, sport-utility vehicles, and their structural parts."

Rumors that Ford will build a Mustang sedan have been around for years, even going as far back as the Mustang's first generation, . Fast forward to 2018, and Ford reportedly showed a concept model to dealers before the project was shelved. The outlet also reported that last May, Ford CEO Jim Farley stated he "believes" the automaker could build a four-door Mustang as long as it has "all the performance and attitude of the original."

There's also the possibility that this Mach 4 trademark somehow relates to the standalone Raptor supercar Ford has teased in the past. Nothing is known about that particular project, but in January, Farley told Top Gear, "We’re in the middle of creating something, so we don’t have all the answers yet, but the question is, should Ford make an off-road supercar? Not a version of a car, a standalone supercar."

Given that Ford has already angered the feistiest of Mustang purists with the electric Mustang Mach-E, there's a real possibility that the automaker could introduce a sedan. Then again, none of the previous Mustang sedan rumors have amounted to anything, so we'll have to wait and see if this trademark also turns into a nothingburger.

Lucid Motors introduced yesterday that its CEO Peter Rawlinson has stepped down and will now serve as a technical advisor to the board.

If you haven’t yet checked out the just-launched Denza D9 ......

The 2025 Volkswagen [website] has been priced for Australia ahead of customer deliveries beginning mid-year – almost 18 months after the electric SUV was f......

Mercedes Defends EQS Styling, Calls It 'Very Progressive'

Mercedes is fully aware that fans of the three-pointed star have not appreciated the "jellybean" design of its EQ electric lineup. As such, the German luxury brand has decided to make EVs look more like gas cars from now on. But even though the super-slippery approach hasn't worked as intended, the business stands by the controversial styling. Referring to the EQS, the business's design boss described it as "purposeful and very progressive."

Speaking with ABC News, Gorden Wagener explained that the EQS is not intended for the typical S-Class clientele. Instead, it's for people who want to try something different from the flagship gasoline car's conventional styling. He added that the electric luxobarge, with its drag coefficient of only [website] cd, looks like it's "10 years into the future." He admitted that the regular S-Class buyer probably doesn't like it. The design chief believes the car’s egg-shaped styling isn’t really an issue. Ok, so what went wrong?

"One problem with EVs is customer perception. The customer sees it like an electronic device. Combustion cars are still being perceived like a Chrono watch–much more long-lasting."

But that doesn’t seem to be an issue for archrival BMW, which sold more EVs last year than Mercedes and Audi combined. The Bavarian brand shipped 368,523 EVs in 2024, an increase of [website] versus the year before. Mercedes’ electric car shipments fell by 23% to 185,100 units, while those from Audi dropped by 8% to 164,000 vehicles.

The Munich-based automaker has had a unified design for combustion-engine cars and EVs from day one, a strategy that will continue with the forthcoming Neue Klasse. Mercedes will adopt the same approach with the third-generation CLA scheduled to debut next month. Fully electric versions of the C-Class, GLC, and E-Class are also coming within the next couple of years. Additionally, the next-gen S-Class, due around 2030, will have an electric counterpart.

Mercedes intends to retire its separate EQ lineup and merge EVs with the usual gasoline, diesel, and plug-in hybrid models. The term "EQ" will still be used, but it will be at the end of the car's name rather than the beginning, as it is now. Purely electric models will end with "EQ Technology," while plug-in hybrids will utilize the "EQ Hybrid Technology" suffix.

Mercedes hopes the overhauled strategy will rejuvenate its lackluster EV sales amid growing competition. As many as 17 new electric cars, including performance models from the AMG branch, will be released by the end of 2027. Additionally, a smaller G-Class is on the way, likely with an electric version planned. The goal introduced a few years ago to become an EV brand by 2030 "where market conditions allow" has been abandoned. The new objective is for PHEVs and EVs to account for 50% of total annual sales by the decade's end.

Rumors that Nissan wants to replace its CEO began surfacing in the fallout from the automaker’s failed merger with Honda. Now, a new Bloomberg findings ......

The 2025 Polestar 3 is one of those cars that will require a tutorial before you leave the dealer lot. That can make it interest......

After recent price cuts, Volkswagen’s electric [website] now starts at under $20,000 in China. Volkswagen looks to keep up in China’s “fierce price war,” b......

Mercedes Exec Says Big Screens Aren't Luxurious but Won't Ditch Them

In an interview with ABC News, Mercedes design chief Gorden Wagener conceded that "screens are not luxury."

Wagener argued that true luxury is communicated to customers through "craftsmanship and sophistication."

Still, Mercedes won't ditch its Hyperscreen, and Wagener expressed the enterprise is developing improved software and more content to make the massive screens worth having.

While most modern cars have a large touchscreen on the dashboard, along with a digital gauge cluster behind the steering wheel, Mercedes-Benz took the trend to new extremes a few years ago with the electric EQS sedan's Hyperscreen. The dash-spanning setup consists of three screens behind one continuous piece of glass that stretches the width of the car. Despite Mercedes's screen innovation, its chief design officer Gorden Wagener in the recent past introduced in an interview with ABC News that "screens are not luxury."

The main reason behind Wagener's opinion is that big screens aren't uncommon, especially for Mercedes's wealthy clientele. "You have a advanced—and bigger—TV at home, right?" he stated. Plus, new cars, especially in the premium segments, tend to feature at least one screen measuring 10 inches or more. Bigger and bigger displays aren't enough to differentiate Mercedes, especially as more cars start to feature dedicated screens for the front passenger, such as the Ferrari Purosangue, Ram 1500, and Jeep Grand Wagoneer.

Mercedes-Benz The Superscreen in the E-class sedan.

"So, we have to create luxury beyond the screen," Wagener explained. However, the design boss didn't get specific about how Mercedes aims to create that feeling of luxury, simply stating that what denotes a true luxury vehicle is "craftsmanship and sophistication."

Despite Wagener's comments, Mercedes isn't about to ditch the gigantic displays. The S-class sedan, the business's flagship car, is set for a substantial refresh for the 2026 model year, which will likely see the EQS's Hyperscreen adorn the sedan's dashboard. Plus, the latest E-class only arrived two model years ago with the Superscreen, a slightly more modest take on digital overload.

While the screens will stick around, Mercedes plans to do more to make the displays worth having. The concession about the use of bigger and flashier screens to denote a high-end vehicle came after ABC News asked about the customer response to units such as the Hyperscreen found in the EQS electric sedan. Wagener noted that the hardware is "very good"—Mercedes's displays look futuristic and feature crisp graphics—but he also noted the software "hasn't been that good."

The E-class's infotainment system packs an array of applications such as TikTok, Angry Birds, and the ability to take Zoom video calls, but Mercedes is cooking up even more special content for its oversized displays. "Because when you have a big screen, you want to have great content on it," Wagener told ABC News. "So we're working on content that is more specific and more entertaining."

The 2025 Polestar 3 is one of those cars that will require a tutorial before you leave the dealer lot. That can make it interest......

The 2026 Kia EV4 debuts as the brand's first electric sedan, and it'll be sold in the United States.

The 201-hp front-wheel-drive EV will offer two b......

The rationalisation of RON 95 petrol that will be carried out by mid-year will feat......