Next Generation A/B-Class bound for US?

Small Mercs to go rear-wheel drive - Latest Car News from 4Car

Re: Next gen A+B class going RWD and to the states

Sounds promising!Really promising!If that is true, then we might have got rid of the ridiculous MFA(Mercedes Frontwheel Architecture), which was quite nasty to hear!

Re: Next gen A+B class going RWD and to the states

I'm gonna miss the little FWD A-Classes! I thought they were fun to drive. :eusa_danc

Re: Next gen A+B class going RWD and to the states

Dude don't start it


Honestly the A-Class is very nimble and agile it's FWD is perfect,u really have to drive one to know what i mean

Re: Next gen A+B class going RWD and to the states

Mistake.

With ever skyrocketing gas prices, the concern for drivers will move away from RWD performance and towards FWD efficiency. Mercedes seems to be making a decision based on what was the trend, as opposed to looking forward.

Also, you can not get the kind of efficient space in a smaller C. The A and B have unreal leg room because of the absense of a drive tunnel. More than a C-class.

Perhaps the biggest problem is marketing vehicles like the A and B under the Mercedes Star. They don't blend with the rest of the brand for sure. But, at least the A and B are distinct from the BMW and Audi and offer things those others can't. couldn't Mercedes simply sell the A and B under a new brand name, "available at Mercedes dealers"? Toyota did it with Scion. Create a new brand, but don't incur any start up costs.


These style of vehicles like the A/B do well in the US. The Toyota Matrix, Mazda 3, and many more, and more coming. We see a lot of growth with people moving away from huge SUVS, but still wanting decent room without the wagon image.

If you go with RWD architecture you will have to sacrifice many other components that could be huge advantages in this segment.

A diesel C and diesel B would be an instant success with ratings over 40 mpg. Yet they remain conspiciously absent in the US of A.

Re: Next gen A+B class going RWD and to the states

In 2011 the entire "sub-premium" MB range aka A-class, B-class and CLC will completely revamp reincarnating into a new range of cars similar to the 1-series. So the range you see now is not what's going to be sold in 2 years.

Re: Next gen A+B class going RWD and to the states

Am I dreaming? This is exactly what they should do. The hell with FWD in a Mercedes. If you want "FWD efficiency" then buy something else. A Mercedes should be a Mercedes and RWD doesn't mean it can't be efficient, thats a piss-poor excuse that GM and other American car companies have decided to use in order to get out doing the proper engineering to make a RWD efficient. I say a whole range of smaller, RWD, beautifully built Mercedes-Benzes will do wonders for their bottom line and bring more first time buyers into the brand. A small coupe, cabrio, sedan, and SUV for the U.S. market and the rest for Europe.

If anything the Smart should have been FWD, not RWD. Flush out the Smart range with FWD vehicles, not lower end Mercedes-Benzes.

M

Re: Next gen A+B class going RWD and to the states

Thing is that small premium cars or even "premium hatches" are becoming the in-thing in Europe.

I many congested European cities where parking spaces are hard to find these cars do extremely well with wealthy consumers who want a premium cars / badge that is not only fuel efficient but highly versatile and practical. I know many wealthy people in Munich for example who drive A-/B-Classes, BMW 1-Series or Audi A3's and they could easily afford say an S-Class etc. In a lot of cases, some people might already own a fullsize premium sedan from Audi, BMW or Mercedes but require an efficient city car for their use and that's where the small premium cars from these three make their impact. :t-cheers:

Also, Mercedes' needed to go RWD in order to compete with the Audi A4 (Quattro) and especially the BMW 118i as the current A-Class with its FWD setup isn't much of a challenger against both cars (the B-Class is a landyacht in terms of handling).

I order to achieve better fuel economy, I don't think the extra weight of the RWD setup will play a negative role. Newer and more efficient engines are going to be designed and hopefully Mercedes can make the A- and B-Classes loose some weight as they're incredibly "heavy" for a car of its size and class.

Re: Next gen A+B class going RWD and to the states

Yeah. I believe the sandwich platform is mostly to blame for the weight. And this is being ditched.

Re: Next gen A+B class going RWD and to the states

Definitely. At the same time it was very innovative and good for safety.

Re: Next gen A+B class going RWD and to the states

It's a logical move. RWD based on the C-Class, so no new platform, no different motors or gearboxes... much smarter.

And the sandwich-concept is good for safety, allows a small car to have giant space for the passengers... but makes the driving position not perfect, and the center of gravity ridiculously high. That's why the A and B are not very nimble, yet with quite hard suspensions with a short course to avoid too much bodyroll...

I hate these A and B-Classes. They don't deserve the MB badge. An MB is quiet and comfortable, not hard and noisy.

Re: Next gen A+B class going RWD and to the states

I guess MB is feeling the heat from the 1er's success!

Re: Next gen A+B class going RWD and to the states

The A and B-Classes together are achieving excellent sales in Europe. Probably better than the 1er. And than the A3 maybe too.

However, I'd rather buy an 1er or A3 than an A or B!

Re: Next gen A+B class going RWD and to the states

^^^ Pfff...they aren't even being sold worldwide. If it only sells in Europe, it means nothing.

Re: Next gen A+B class going RWD and to the states

Wow.

M

Re: Next gen A+B class going RWD and to the states

The current A- and B-Classes are actually quite refined. :t-cheers:

I've driven every single model (except the A200 Turbo) and all engines struck me as quiet, smooth and zippy meaning a good engine response (provided they weren't mated to the power-sapping Autotronic CVT).

The A-Class biggest shortcoming is its poor comfort. You can drive long distances in it in relative comfort but compared to other Mercedes' it's not very good in this department. On the other hand the A-Class handles very nicely for a FWD high-center-of-gravity car.

The B-Class is more comfortable and softer so overall comfort is very good compared to the A-Class. The handling is pretty bad though. All B-Classes I've driven had very light and uncommunicative steering and the suspension was just too soft. It's marketed as a Sportstourer but there isn't anything sporty about the B-Class unless you add the sports package which makes the car a little better in handling but not by much.

Re: Next gen A+B class going RWD and to the states

They're also sold in Japan, South Korea, The Philippines and a number of Asian markets where high taxes on engine cc make them popular.

Re: Next gen A+B class going RWD and to the states

Meanwhile in related news, MB have just announced that the current A class has started making a profit as they promised it would before the end of its current cycle. They havent however released the figures

Re: Next gen A+B class going RWD and to the states



Mercedes will replace its two smallest models with more conventional front-wheel-drive hatchbacks, company sources have revealed. The new models will be joined by a three-door coupé, a cabrio, a 4x4 and an MPV.

"We want to expand the line-ups to at least double that of today's levels," said Rainer Schmueckle, Mercedes-Benz chief executive officer. Also under consideration is a four-door saloon, of similar size to the original 190.

The decision to continue with front-wheel drive comes after a lengthy internal review. The new layout, called MFA (Mercedes Front-wheel drive Architecture), has been conceived to support a much wider range of models and allows for four-wheel drive, paving the way for high-performance variants.

Mercedes has abandoned the complex, expensive sandwich construction that provides today's models with a flat floor. It has been replaced by a simpler, cheaper arrangement that will allow the next generation of vehicles to sit nearer to the ground.

The company is also designing a new range of engines. They will work with other models, unlike the engines in the existing A and B-class, which were conceived for underfloor mounting and have a unique design.

More significant, perhaps, is the Mercedes plan to equip the next entry-level models with the option of hybrid drive. Features such as start-stop and brake energy regeneration are also "definitely part of the new package", said Mercedes sources.


Autocar - Mercedes abandons A-class platform


A sedan the size of the original 190, now that would be really hot. Make it look like it too...and most importantly give it decent rear seat room and it would be a hit.


M