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The new baby G-Class will be built at Mercedes’ expanded Hungary plant.

Mercedes is investing to nearly double production capacity in Hungary.

The smaller rugged SUV will arrive with hybrid and all-electric powertrains.

The baby Mercedes-Benz G-Class is nearly here, though it won’t be quite as German as the badge suggests. A new report points to production at the company’s plant in Hungary, a site set to become the biggest Mercedes facility in Europe.

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Sources inside the automaker say the baby G enters production next year. The original plan called for an EV-only model, but with electric demand cooling across the US after the axing of the federal tax credit, Mercedes reversed course and approved hybrid combustion versions of the shrunken off-roader. Anyone who wanted a small G-shaped SUV without the battery-only commitment finally has a way in.

Read: Mercedes Planned An EV-Only Baby G, Now It’s Having Second Thoughts

Germany’s Automobilwoche reports that Mercedes may unveil the new model on July 13th, timed to coincide with an announcement about the expansion of its Kecskemet, Hungary, factory. The added work at the site has reportedly close to doubled annual capacity to between 300,000 and 400,000 vehicles. The plant will also grow its workforce to roughly 7,500 people, up from 3,000, and take on production of models including the new electric C-Class, the GLB, and the combustion-powered A-Class.

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The reason for building the baby G-Wagen in Hungary is simple: cost-cutting. Labor costs in Hungary are lower than in Germany, and for a smaller vehicle like the mini G, which typically has lower margins than larger, more premium models, a penny saved is a penny earned.

The Key Details

Current reports peg the all-electric version with an 85 kWh NMC battery and a pair of electric motors. There’s no word on how much power this model will have, but it should have a driving range of up to 450 miles (724 km). As for the hybrid version , it could use the same powertrain as the CLA sedan, pairing a 1.5-liter engine with electric assistance to deliver a combined 208 hp and 280 lb-ft (380 Nm) of torque, although those figures could be increased for this application.

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Sony could be readying a new color for the WH-1000XM6.

Several import filings reveal a model with the color code “G.”

It’s believed that this new color could be green.

Not interested in getting another pair of black headphones? Well, Sony has been slowly expanding the color options for the WH-1000XM6. Just this year, the brand released a new, sandy-beige color called “Sandstone.” That may not be the only new hue Sony releases this year, as it appears the company has another one up its sleeve.

According to The Walkman Blog , Sony is working on a model of the WH-1000XM6 that has the color code “G.” This “G” color code has reportedly appeared in several import filings dating back to February. Something interesting to note: this model is said to have the same exact import dates as the Sandstone option, but it appears Sony decided to only release the beige model earlier this year.

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You're never going to believe this, but Morrissey is mad about something. Last month, the man posted a lengthy screed about an as-yet-unannounced BBC documentary about his old band the Smiths, claiming that it will depict his former bandmate and longtime adversary Johnny Marr as an "angel" at Morrissey's own expense. Now, Morrissey claims that BBC radio is similarly biased about his own single "Notre-Dame," claiming that he's being blacklisted even thought the people clearly want to hear it.

The post Morrissey Says “Diversity Is A Lie” Because The BBC Won’t Play His New Single appeared first on Stereogum .

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A Japanese spacecraft has gotten up close and personal with yet another asteroid, beaming home stunning new imagery of the distant space rock.

On Sunday (July 5), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)'s Hayabusa2 probe performed a close flyby of asteroid Torifune, a 1,475-foot (450-meter) space rock currently traveling through space some 62 million miles (100 million kilometers) from Earth. It was expected to be one of the closest-ever high-speed passes a spacecraft has had with an asteroid.

During the flyby, Hayabusa2 captured this breathtaking new image of Torifune using its optical camera, and was able to transmit it back to JAXA controllers. The probe captured additional scientific data about the asteroid, but will beam those results home at a later date, according to JAXA .

Hayabusa2 also imaged asteroid Torifune using its Mid-Infrared Camera (TIR), which allows scientists to measure asteroids' surface temperatures, thermal inertia and surface roughness, according to JAXA. This mid-infrared image reveals Torifune to be much cooler in what appear to be shadowed regions seen in the optical image, and much warmer where the surface faces the sun.

Asteroid Torifune as seen by the Hayabusa2 probe's Mid-Infrared Camera (TIR) on July 5, 2026. (Image credit: JAXA) Torifune orbits the sun every 383 days and rotates every 5 hours. It belongs to the Apollo group, a classification of near-Earth asteroids whose orbits cross Earth's as they make their way around the sun .

Hayabusa2's flyby of Torifune was not part of its original mission, and one of the members of the probe's scientific team previously told Space.com the flyby was a "risky operation" due to the unknowns surrounding the asteroid.

These new images add to the growing list of incredible accomplishments the Hayabusa2 probe has notched on its now nearly 12-year mission.

Asteroid Ryugu, also seen by JAXA's Hayabusa2 spacecraft. (Image credit: JAXA, University of Tokyo, Kochi University, Rikkyo University, Nagoya University, Chiba Institute of Technology, Meiji University, University of Aizu and AIST.) Hayabusa2 launched in December 2014 on an ambitious mission to collect asteroid samples and return them back to Earth. The probe did just that in December 2020 when JAXA successfully landed samples of asteroid Ryugu in the Australian desert.

Since then, scientists have used the samples to peer back in cosmic time at the history of our solar system and have even discovered that Ryugu contains all five nucleobases found within DNA and RNA.

After collecting its precious samples, Hayabusa2 left Ryugu in 2019. It's ultimate goal is now to flyby asteroid 1998 KY26, which could become the smallest asteroid ever visited by a spacecraft . 1998 KY26 is just 36 feet (11 meters) across, close to the size of the asteroid that exploded above Chelyabinsk, Russia in 2013 .

A size comparison between asteroid Ryugu, which was visited by Hayabusa2 in 2020, and its next target, 1998 KY26. (Image credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser. Asteroid models: T. Santana-Ros, JAXA/University of Aizu/Kobe University) Hayabusa2 is expected to reach 1998 KY26 in the year 2031. Once there, the probe will orbit the space rock before attempting to touch down on its surface. JAXA hopes the mission will help scientists more about the structure and composition of small asteroids.