Mercedes ‘Baby CLS’ in 2013 – based on new Mercedes B-Class.

A 'Mercedes BLS' in 2013?

The Mercedes A Class and Mercedes B Class are coming to the end of their life. And with the end of the current generation of the compact Mercedes we will also see the end of the expensive ‘Sandwich’ platform originally designed for the first A Class. In its place comes a more conventional platform – the MFA, or Mercedes Front-wheel-drive Architecture.

And that more flexible platform is expected to spawn a number of variants beyond the current hatchbacks. In fact, Joachim Schmidt – Global Sales Manager for Mercedes – told Automotive news that there could be as many as four variants off the platform.

In addition to the hatches there will be an SUV to challenge the BMW X1, a Shooting Brake aimed at younger customers and a coupe, which Mercedes themselves are calling the ‘Baby CLS’. Maybe it will get a stretched B-Class platform and become the Mercedes BLS? We’ll see.

Schmidt says that although Mercedes plans to introduce the SUV, Coupe and Shooting Brake in to the US, he doubts the hatch will make it.

The B Class hatch is planned for release later this year, the A Class hatch in 2012, the ‘Baby CLS’ in 2013 and the SUV in 2014.

By which time Mercedes could well be out-niche-ing Audi.

By Cars UK