Nother CarGuy

Produced exclusively by the Daimler – BAIC Motor joint venture, the China-only A-Class L Sedan brings CLS styling and S-Class safety tech to the compact 4-door segment. Mercedes will eventually unveil another version of the saloon, tailored specifically to customers outside of China, sometime in the second half of the year. It’s likely that car will drop the ‘L’ designation and be known simply as the A-Class Sedan. According to Mercedes, the Chinese A-Class L Sedan features highlights such as multiple innovative driving assistance systems borrowed from the S-Class, as well as the MBUX system’s intelligent voice control with natural speech recognition, which is of course proficient in various Chinese dialects, including Sichuanese and Cantonese. With regards to styling, the A-Class L Sedan is meant to reflect the “purist, surface-accentuating design” of the automaker’s latest design philosophy, dubbed Sensual Purity. It reflects in the short overhangs (front and rear),...

Lexus has pulled the wraps off their new RX L, a three-row version of their popular luxury SUV that can hold up to seven passengers. The addition of the third row was made possible by extending the rear of the body by 4.3 inches (110mm) with Lexus also using a steeper tailgate window angle in order to ensure good headroom for third-row passengers. As standard, the 2018 Lexus RX L will come with seven seats and a 40/20/40 split bench-type second row seat. The optional six-seat setup comes with second-row captain’s chairs that allow for easier access to the third row. Standard features include a power-folding third-row bench, power tailgate and leather upholstery for the first and second rows. A tri-zone climate system gives third-row passengers separate heating and air-conditioning vents. The longer Lexus RX L is available in petrol RX 350L form, powered by a 290hp 3.5-liter V6 paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, and in the hybrid and AWD RX 450hL v...

Following a preview earlier this year, Jaguar has unveiled the new XEL at the Guangzhou Auto Show in China. Designed to compete with the Audi A4L and Mercedes C-Class L, the XEL has a wheelbase that has been stretched 3.9-inches (100 mm) to span 115.5-inches (2935 mm) overall. The added length benefits rear seat passengers and helps to create a more accommodating cabin. The entry-level XEL Elite Edition comes nicely equipped with a panoramic glass sunroof, an automatic dual-zone climate control system, and an infotainment system with an 8-inch display. Higher-end variants can be can be outfitted with ambient interior lighting, illuminated door sill plates, and a Meridian audio system. Other options include perforated leather upholstery, a digital instrument cluster, and wood trim. Under the hood, two engines will be available. The entry-level unit is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 200 PS (147 kW) and 320 Nm (236 lb-ft) of torque. It enable...

The Chinese market is set to receive yet another bespoke, long-wheelbase sedan, this time in the form of the Jaguar XEL. Based around the XE, the XEL slots just below the XF in terms of size, and compared to the typical XE, has a 10 cm (3.9-inch) longer wheelbase, putting it at an ample 2.93 meters (115.3-inches). The increased legroom afforded by the elongated wheelbase will allow the XEL to rival the BMW 3-Series Li, Audi A4L and Mercedes-Benz C-Class L. The British marque has yet to announce all details about the XEL but we do know that it will be produced through the Chery Jaguar Land Rover joint venture. Additionally, it has been confirmed that a panoramic roof will come standard, as will a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine with either 200 or 250 hp. Expect to learn more about the 2018 Jaguar XEL when it premieres at the Guangzhou Auto Show in mid-November. Carscoops

Want a new Acura sedan, but find the TLX too small? You could step up to the bigger RLX – or, if you live in China, into the stretched TLX-L. Or at least you could at sometime later this year. Previewed as in near-production concept form at the Shanghai Auto Show this week is the Acura TLX-L prototype. It's clearly based closely on the latest version of Honda's midsize luxury sedan revealed – complete with its more crowd-pleasing grille – at the New York Auto Show last week, but adds more space for the rear passengers by increasing the wheelbase. By how much, and to what effect, we don't know. The Japanese automaker released little in the way of details to accompany just two images. But it did confirm that a production version will hit the Chinese market before this year is out, and naturally asserts that the modifications maintain the sedan's “high-quality driving performance.” Long-wheelbase vehicles are in particularly high demand in the Chinese market, wher...

Rolls-Royce has  pulled the plug  on the seventh generation Phantom, following 13 years of production. Commissioned by a renowned Rolls-Royce collector, the final example is a one-off special, based on the long wheelbase version of the car, and featuring a long list of items that mimic a 1930s  ocean liner . Finished in Blue Velvet and  completed with  a twin coachline with ocean liner motif to the shoulder, this special Rolls also benefits from a solid silver Spirit of Ecstasy, and pinstripe tires. Its  maritime theme is continued inside , where the automaker added two clocks, in tone with the classic ship radio clocks. Both are housed within a grooved bezel with 24 time zones, allowing owners to rotate them in either direction, depending on what part of the globe they are in. Another special touch is a hand-cut wake effect on the lambswool carpets, created by the brand's craftspeople. Powering it is the 6.75-liter  naturally aspirated V12 lump ...

After leaking online in its  Chinese form , the 2018 Volkswagen long-wheelbase Tiguan has debuted on the eve of the  Detroit Auto Show . Just like the latest-generation Tiguan available throughout the world, the U.S.-bound long-wheelbase variant is based on Volkswagen’s Modular Transverse Matrix (MQB) architecture also used by the larger Atlas. With a wheelbase of 109.9 inches, the stretched Tiguan is 4.4 inches longer than the outgoing model and therefore includes sliding second-row seats and an optional third row. Compared to the current Tiguan still available in the United States, the  2018  long-wheelbase version is 10.7 inches longer and enjoys the same overhauled design as the latest-gen model offered elsewhere. That means that its design is much edgier and incorporates a plethora of straight and aggressive lines in favor of the more curvaceous shape of the previous-gen Tiguan. The interior of the 2018 Tiguan can be optioned with the Volkswagen Digital Cockp...

BMW's  smallest SUV  has gained a few cm to its wheelbase to satisfy the Chinese requirements for extra rear space. The  X1 L  measures 4.56 meters (180 in) in length, 1.81 meters (71 in) in width and 1.62 meters (64 in) in height. It offers between 5 and 18 cm (2-7 in) more knee room for the rear passengers and has a cargo capacity of 465-675 liters, depending on the position of the rear seat, and 1,650 liters with the rear bench folded.  BMW will offer the X1 L in three versions in the  People's Republic : the sDrive18Li, with a 3-pot 136 HP engine, the sDrive20Li/xDrive20Li, powered by a four-cylinder unit with 192 HP and the xDrive25Li, with a beefier 231 HP four-banger. All three are paired to a six-speed Steptronic transmission, while the two larger ones are also offered with an 8-speed auto as an option.  A variety of standard and optional equipment will be offered on the stretched version of the  X1 , such as LED headlights, Driving Ass...

Jaguar stretched the wheelbase of the  XF  and has just launched it at the 2016 Beijing Auto Show. With the  new Mercedes-Benz E-Class L  in its sights, the long wheelbase version of the XF is aimed to those who cannot afford or simply don't want the XJ, but would appreciate an extra 157 mm (6.1 inches) of legroom and 116 mm (4.5 inches) of knee room for rear passengers, thanks to the 140 mm (5.5 inches) increased wheelbase.  Compared to the standard XF, the  XFL remains identical , except for the stretched rear doors and obvious increased length. Inside, the British have introduced 8-inch screens in the back of the front seat headrests with digital wireless headphones, and the car also benefits from the latest 10.2-inch InControl Touch Pro infotainment, Meridian Surround Sound System, four-zone climate control with a cabin air ionization, two HDMI ports, two USB 3.0 ports and a 12V power socket. Folding rear tables, heated and cooled rear seats with mas...