The B-Class will not come to the United States because Mercedes-Benz cannot price the vehicle to make a profit, says the brand's CEO.
Mercedes-Benz in January decided to ax the B-Class from the future U.S. product range, said Eckhard Cordes, head of the Mercedes car group.

With the euro worth about $1.30, "we cannot make sufficient profit with this car in the United States," Cordes said.

If the euro weakens against the dollar, Mercedes might review that decision, he added.

Joachim Schmidt, executive vice president of sales and marketing, said the car has already been engineered for U.S. sale. "We can decide at any time that we want to bring it," he said.

In late January, attendees at the National Automobile Dealers Association convention were told the vehicle would be delayed at least one year. But at the Geneva auto show, Mercedes executives said they had made a more definitive decision.

The compact B-Class is a tall five-door hatchback based on the second-generation Mercedes A-Class car. The B-Class is 168.1 inches long, about 10 inches shorter than the C-class sedan.

The B-Class was scheduled to go on sale in fall 2006 as the automaker's entry car in the United States. Before its delay, executives had called it an important vehicle in the company's new push for sport wagons and SUVs in the United States.

Mercedes wanted to price the B-Class below $26,000 in the United States. Anticipating the car's arrival, Mercedes dropped the C-Class coupes from its model range late last year. The slow-moving C230 Kompressor sport coupe sold for $26,570 including destination.

For years, the automaker has waffled over plans to introduce a car smaller than the C-Class to the United States.

As recently as mid-2003, U.S. Mercedes executives said the B-Class was developed at their request. The changes demanded by North America made the B-Class so different from the A-Class that product planners felt it needed to have its own model range, U.S. executives said.

Now that the B-Class won't be sold in America, Mercedes has no cars for the United States to compete with the Mini, Audi A3 Sportback or BMW 1 Series, which is due in 2006.


http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=101931

 

Boohoohoo, how sad. One less germany car that has faulty eletronics and knocking suspensions and out of whack dial controls coming this way. Boohoohoo.

OK it might not be that bad. But still. I don't think benz really needs to compete with the mini or similar categories. They can keep themselves high up there and keep their prestige name instead of being a rich man trying too hard to look like an "everyday man."

 

considering that the B-class is more than two feet longer, has two more doors, is [probably] considerably taller and overall much bigger than the mini, i don't think that is mercedes' target. besides, they have the Smart brand for that..

i never thought this car would have done well in the US anyway, so it's probably a good idea not to bring it over. the format is too european. i don't think there's any market for a luxury mini-minivan, mini-crossover, or whatever they say it is..

 

Damn. That B was a neat design. I kinda liked it.

That said, the business case for it is pretty marginal.
If anything, it would probably leech sales off the Chrysler Pacifica. h:

 

However, that could change depending on how fast M-B can expand production capacity at their plant in Alabama, USA that is producing the ML and R series SUV's. If M-B can do major expansion of that plant then M-B could produce the B series just in time for the 2007 model year for the US market.

But I think a more likely thing happening is M-B trying to qualify the 3.2-liter V-6 turbodiesel for 50-state emissions certification. If they can do that expect both the ML and R series to sport a turbodiesel option starting in the 2007 model year.

 

so you think when they don't have a business case for the car they will spend Billions to expand the plant so they can sell the car in the US?

 

Well that's a good thing. I like the Vibe (and Matrix, but the Vibe more styling wise) for being versatile/roomy/somewhat fun to drive, but I really don't think this car has much of a case in the US being expensive and not having too much of a customer base :happysad:

 

Man, what the hell is that PT cruiser looking pos? Good thing its not coming to this country.

 

I think it's so ugly that it's cute. Kind of like an ugly dog.

 

Well, M-B will have to expand the assembly in Alabama anyway due to the fact the R-Class smaller SUV--which will be sold around the world--will be produced there. As such, they might as well do as part of the expansion putting in the jigs that will make it possible to assemble the B-Class "tall wagon" at that place, too.

I think M-B miscalculated trying to bring over the B-Class by assembling the car in Europe and not in the USA, especially now with the high value of the Euro, the same problem that prevented BMW from importing the 1-Series until the six-cylinder version becomes available in the 2006 calendar year (more or less).

Because the B-Class will likely sport a 200 bhp engine at least in US form, it will be a fairly decent-performing car.