Automotive
April 4, 2024
New, unrelated initiatives center on the outdoors and rugged terrain. Image credit: Mercedes-Benz
By Zach James
German automaker Mercedes-Benz and Toyota Corp.’s Lexus are taking a similar approach to platforming their new vehicles.
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