Smart Car Blog

Bloomberg is reporting that Mercedes is planning to bring the B-Klasse to the States.

July 25 (Bloomberg) -- DaimlerChrysler AG, the world's second-biggest luxury automaker, is designing a version of its Mercedes-Benz B-Class car for sale in North America for the first time, the company's top U.S. executive said.
The B-class, available in Europe since 2005, is due for redesign in 2011 or 2012 and prototypes include a model that would meet North American regulatory requirements, said Ernst Lieb, chief executive officer of Mercedes-Benz USA. The mini crossover is bigger than General Motors Corp.'s Chevrolet Aveo and smaller than Toyota Motor Corp.'s Corolla.
The B-Class would join Stuttgart, Germany-based Daimler's Smart car among smaller, higher-mileage autos being offered as rising gasoline prices prompt U.S. buyers to consider more fuel- efficient models. Daimler scrapped plans to redesign the current B-Class model for the U.S. about a year ago because the euro- dollar exchange rate made it too costly.