Mercedes-Benz of Henderson

Mercedes-Benz USA and Penske Automotive Group are in negotiations to transition the distribution rights, management, sales and marketing activities of smart USA. Up until now, Penske has been in charge of such details. When negotiations are finalized, likely by the end of the second quarter, Mercedes-Benz USA will step up to the plate and take over.

The transition makes perfect sense considering last year's reorganization at smart headquarters in Germany. I mean, why should?

Mercedes-Benz currently offers diesel vehicles in its E-, M-, GL-, and R-class models in the U.S. , and there is an S-class on the way. Powered by the same 3.0-liter turbo-diesel V-6 engine as the company's other American diesel models, the new S350 BlueTec will be offered exclusively with 4Matic all-wheel drive; and it's expected to arrive this fall.

Mercedes-Benz's plan to introduce more diesels into the U.S. market doesn…

AMG is subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz, and is known for developing the most expensive, highest performance vehicles in the brand's series. Mercedes-Benz AMG vehicles typically have more aggressive looks, more power, and better handling and stability than their regular counterparts.

People with a penchant for powerful vehicles might initially shake their heads to learn that even the AMG division of Mercedes-Benz has to include hybrid technology in order to comply with new emission and consumption…