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BMW And Mercedes-Benz Compacts Coming To U.S. Within Next Few Years

 
2 1,207 views Oct 11, 2010
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2006 Mercedes-Benz B-Class

2006 Mercedes-Benz B-Class

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Right now in the U.S. you can step into a brand new BMW for just under $30,000--for Mercedes-Benz the entry-point creeps a few thousand dollars higher--but in the next couple of years we should be seeing a range of more affordable models from both of the luxury stalwarts.

That’s because both automakers are working on a new generation of compact cars that will take them into territory never treaded before by either brand here in the U.S. Mercedes-Benz is working on a successor for its B-Class model sold overseas, while BMW is planning to launch its first front-wheel drive model.

Overseas the cars are described as UKL models, a German abbreviation for lower-compact-class, and in congested urban environments they sell in relatively strong numbers. Here, they will be introduced to help Mercedes-Benz and BMW meet toughening fuel economy and emissions standards, while also catering to the growing numbers of U.S. customers looking to downsize to much smaller luxury cars.

The key difference between the incoming new generation of luxury compacts and the cars of old is that there will be plenty of new bodystyles to choose from instead of just the typical econo hatch. Things like sporty coupes, four-door sedans and even a crossover or two are all on the cards for both Mercedes-Benz and BMW.

BMW’s models, of which there are expected to be three, will arrive before the launch of the Megacity electric vehicle in 2013 and will initially be available with a four-cylinder engine. All will be smaller than the current 1-Series range.

Mercedes-Benz plans to bring over its next-generation B-Class, which will be available for the first time in a compact SUV bodystyle, as well as sporty coupe and possibly sedan bodystyles. A high-performance AMG variant is also planned. One thing’s for certain, Mercedes-Benz plans to drop the B-Class name once the cars hit local showrooms. 

Eventually, both automakers also plan to launch alternative powertrains in their respective entry-level models. Either way, it looks like stepping into a brand new luxury vehicle is about to get a whole lot easier. 

[Automotive News, sub req’d]

 





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Comments (2)

  1. By  HyundaiSmoke Posted: 10/12/2010 5:18am PDT

    The establishment is scared of the rapid advances in Korean small car development I see.
    That's ok, game on.
     
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  2. By archknight Posted: 10/12/2010 6:35am PDT

    HyundaiSmoke, I'd have to agree with you on that, but the problem for BMW and MB isn't that they don't have small luxury cars. It's that they have to deal with stricter CAFE standards. The RWD platforms are always going to be heavier than FWD and to make a RWD car lighter you'd have to use expensive materials which would make it unlikely to have a small car at the price point they are trying to achieve. Since BMW will likely use it's next generation MINI platform to build its cars, the cost will be spread out and more than likely the price will start in the mid $20K range. You can probably expect to see the MINI AWD system or a version of BMW's xDrive, so that it truly falls in line with the rest of the lineup. MB has always had small cars with FWD but they were not considered luxurious by American standards. The next generation is suppose to add all that while still be far more fuel efficient. If the styling is done correctly on the exterior and interior of these cars no one will care if they are FWD.
     
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