Mercedes-Benz has purposely steered clear of the compact end of the market in the United States to preserve its up-scale image, but the German automaker will reportedly enter the premium compact segment in 2012 with at least one imported vehicle.
Word of Mercedes-Benz’ interest in the compact segment first surfaced during the summer of 2008 – when gas prices spiked to $4 a gallon around the country – but the subsequent economic collapse forced Mercedes to suspend its market-expanding plans. However, with the market showing signs of recovery and at least four new small models in the works, Mercedes-Benz has decided to revisit its previous plans.
Speaking with the Wall Street Journal, Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche revealed Mercedes-Benz is considering marketing at least one of its four new compact vehicles in the United States. The compact Mercedes would compete with vehicles like the BMW 1-Series , MINI Cooper and Audi A3 .
It remains unclear exactly which model — or models — has been earmarked for sale in the U.S., but the next-generation B-Class appears to be the leading candidate to surface in Mercedes showrooms in 2012. Adding such a vehicle would not only give Mercedes an answer for the aforementioned vehicles, but would also help the company comply with upcoming CAFE regulations.
However, Mercedes still has a few issues to deal with before it can enter the compact segment here. Mercedes’ smallest vehicles are made overseas, making for an unfavorable exchange rate. Mercedes also has to figure out how a cheaper offering would impact its premium status. But with gas prices expected to climb in the coming years, a compact Mercedes on our shores seems like a sure bet.
