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.
``Logically, it would be pretty good idea to carefully consider the vehicle for the U.S.,'' said Michael Schmall, managing partner for Planning Edge, a Birmingham, Michigan-based market-research firm. ``I question whether it would be successful because of the difficulty luxury manufacturers have in that segment.''
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