Mercedes Benz has decided to develop it’s next generation Mercedes Benz A-Class and B-Class alone, without cooperation with a small car technical partner. The German company previously had talks with BMW and Fiat, but it appears that the plans for the next generation A-Class and B-Class were not “compatible” with the proposed shared platform and engine with the other car manufacturers.
The luxury carmaker will instead rely on internal efficiency measures to achieve a similiar cost-saving effect as platform sharing. The new A-Class and B-Class platform will be “a platform below the C-Class with front-wheel drive and high-mounted transverse-sited engines,” according to Daimler head Dieter Zetsche.
The Mercedes Benz B-Class will grow in size to match the likes of the Volkswagen Touran, while the A-Class is rumoured to be made more sportier, and perhaps offered as a 3-door only. A third car based on the FF platform is said to be in the works, and will be a small SUV to compete against the rumoured Audi Q3 and the confirmed BMW X1.
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After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history. An avid electronic gadget aficionado as well as big-time coffee lover, he's also the executive producer of the Driven motoring TV programme.
while the A-Class is rumoured to be made more sportier, and perhaps offered as a 3-door only?
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Very sad! Anti climate!
I always love Mercedes hehe… as well as bmw
3 doors hatch…love it. but sadly not RWD. Just stick to 1series over this one
So, the difference between A and B class cars are just the boot size then? and slight bigger interior. Wheel base will be the same right?
I don’t understand why MB insists on watering down its brand with the A class.
The A class is a sorry excuse being a Benz. Even the B class is slightly out of place in the family.
They still have Smart after all.
Maybe history will look at Mercedes with a kinder face. Back then the 190E was thought to be a “mistake”….who knows….
good !!!
so dat mini will still drive btr den any a/b class