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In 2024, new car sales in the US reached 15.9 million units, up 2.2% year-on-year, marking a five-year high. This growth was driven by replenished inventories, higher incentives, and surging demand for hybrid vehicles. General Motors led with 2.7 million units sold, while Toyota saw a 3.7% increase, boosted by models like the Camry and RAV4, which are offered only as hybrids in the US. Ford sold nearly twice as many hybrids as EVs in 2024. However, sales for Stellantis and Tesla declined compared to 2023.

Mercedes-AMG has launched the updated CLE 53 4MATIC+ coupe in China, priced from CNY 720,800. A 3.0L inline-six plus 48V EQ Boost delivers 449 hp and, in over-boost, 601 Nm to a 9-speed AMG SpeedShift TCT and 4MATIC+ AWD for 0-100 km/h in 4.2s. The first AMG with 3rd-gen MBUX and Snapdragon 8295 chip, it pairs 12.3-in digital dash with 11.9-in centre OLED, Burmester 3D Dolby Atmos audio, 64-colour ambient lighting and Nappa AMG Performance seats for a fully connected, emotive cockpit.

Leapmotor’s compact EV Lafa5 will start pre-sales on Nov 7 and launch Q4. Built on LEAP 3.5 B-platform, it offers 515/605 km CLTC range; top trim packs 8295 SoC and LiDAR for advanced AD. The 4 430 mm-long, 2 735 mm-wheelbase hatch features frameless doors and 19-inch alloys; an Ultra variant arrives H1 2026.

The updated Stelato S9 keeps its cosmic-themed design but adds Galaxy headlights, nebula full-width tail-lamps and new wheels. Options include smart power doors, e-mirrors and Huawei million-pixel intelligent headlights. A 36-sensor suite—four standard LiDARs plus triple front distributed mmWave radars—and an exterior microphone enable advanced AD functions. Both BEV and EREV powertrains remain available when sales start in November.

Spy shots reveal the Zhongzhong 07 will feature a passenger-side entertainment display, horizontal open-center console, column shifter, larger cluster screen and optional HUD. The mid-size sedan has passed MIIT homologation and is slated for a 2026 market launch.