Definitely. At the same time it was very innovative and good for safety.

It's a logical move. RWD based on the C-Class, so no new platform, no different motors or gearboxes... much smarter.

And the sandwich-concept is good for safety, allows a small car to have giant space for the passengers... but makes the driving position not perfect, and the center of gravity ridiculously high. That's why the A and B are not very nimble, yet with quite hard suspensions with a short course to avoid too much bodyroll...

I hate these A and B-Classes. They don't deserve the MB badge. An MB is quiet and comfortable, not hard and noisy.

I guess MB is feeling the heat from the 1er's success!

The A and B-Classes together are achieving excellent sales in Europe. Probably better than the 1er. And than the A3 maybe too.

However, I'd rather buy an 1er or A3 than an A or B!

^^^ Pfff...they aren't even being sold worldwide. If it only sells in Europe, it means nothing.

Wow.

M

The current A- and B-Classes are actually quite refined.

I've driven every single model (except the A200 Turbo) and all engines struck me as quiet, smooth and zippy meaning a good engine response (provided they weren't mated to the power-sapping Autotronic CVT).

The A-Class biggest shortcoming is its poor comfort. You can drive long distances in it in relative comfort but compared to other Mercedes' it's not very good in this department. On the other hand the A-Class handles very nicely for a FWD high-center-of-gravity car.

The B-Class is more comfortable and softer so overall comfort is very good compared to the A-Class. The handling is pretty bad though. All B-Classes I've driven had very light and uncommunicative steering and the suspension was just too soft. It's marketed as a Sportstourer but there isn't anything sporty about the B-Class unless you add the sports package which makes the car a little better in handling but not by much.

They're also sold in Japan, South Korea, The Philippines and a number of Asian markets where high taxes on engine cc make them popular.

Meanwhile in related news, MB have just announced that the current A class has started making a profit as they promised it would before the end of its current cycle. They havent however released the figures

Mercedes will replace its two smallest models with more conventional front-wheel-drive hatchbacks, company sources have revealed. The new models will be joined by a three-door coupé, a cabrio, a 4x4 and an MPV.

"We want to expand the line-ups to at least double that of today's levels," said Rainer Schmueckle, Mercedes-Benz chief executive officer. Also under consideration is a four-door saloon, of similar size to the original 190.

The decision to continue with front-wheel drive comes after a lengthy internal review. The new layout, called MFA (Mercedes Front-wheel drive Architecture), has been conceived to support a much wider range of models and allows for four-wheel drive, paving the way for high-performance variants.

Mercedes has abandoned the complex, expensive sandwich construction that provides today's models with a flat floor. It has been replaced by a simpler, cheaper arrangement that will allow the next generation of vehicles to sit nearer to the ground.

The company is also designing a new range of engines. They will work with other models, unlike the engines in the existing A and B-class, which were conceived for underfloor mounting and have a unique design.

More significant, perhaps, is the Mercedes plan to equip the next entry-level models with the option of hybrid drive. Features such as start-stop and brake energy regeneration are also "definitely part of the new package", said Mercedes sources.


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A sedan the size of the original 190, now that would be really hot. Make it look like it too...and most importantly give it decent rear seat room and it would be a hit.


M