Mercedes to build BMW X1 and 1-Series rival in Hungary

A mercedes baby coupe? I'm stoked.

Should be interesting. Hopefully a Hatch....The 135 is a sweet little car. ESP when chipped.

It's on the market since 2004 and hasn't dominated anything yet.

NICE!

Those crazy Germans :->

Funny and very unusal seeing how MB, BMW and Audi are hard at work making small and more small cars where Big Jap 3 are making more powerful and expensive than ever cars. GT-R, NSX, LF-A...etc. Infiniti and Acura also needs and are making real bigger and powerful flagship models replacing Q45 and Acura RL.

10 or 20 years ago and before quite the opposite was happening.

Just shows how competitive brands have become. And nobody is less now.

JUGNU

"Just shows how competitive brands have become. And nobody is less now".



Not quite. It is probably because Mercedes and BMW already have a reputation as top brands in the auto-world. The Japanese makers on the other hand are still struggling with their image: "makers of econocars" and they hope that a few "special" cars like GT-R or NSX will bring the recognition they struggle for so long(without success) to obtain.

Ye Jugnu, but the way fuel prices and the economy in general is going. The Germans are better focusing on smaller cars that use less fuel. People will want the prestigious name, such as BMW or MB. But something that is economical to run, but luxurious.

"Frankly the Germans are desperate for sales so they try to make up for lost sales against Lexus, Acura and Infiniti on the global market by making small econoboxes and slapping their badge on them. Yes, some people would buy a Yugo if it had a BMW badge on it. Goes to show how flawed their business strategy is."

Idiot, they're not desperate for sales. People want smaller more economical cars. They are merely using their HIGH STATUS PRESTIGIOUS NAME, nothing the Japanese have, and what customers want to supply demand. After all, they are in business, which is supply and demand.

So, while the Japanese are TRYING to beat the Germans at something, which will never happen. The Germans diversify into something the market want. That's not a flawed business strategy mate. That's a good one.

Why the A and B don't come to the States? Anyone know when is the GLK due? and does it come with a hybride version?

huu76,"There's nothing special about a BMW/MB or Audi that's less equipped and more common than a Toyota"

Wrong! There is nothing special about a well equipped Toyota(read Lexus)that sells for a premium because it has leather standard.
People don't buy Mercedes and BMW cars because they have leather seats. They buy them because they are engineered and built to a lot higher standards than the Japanese trash. Rebadged Toyotas(Lexus) and Nissans(Infiniti) are not premium cars, they are just better equipped economy cars.
BMW and Mercedes don't need to fool people by adding useless equipment standard in their cars(like Japanese do). Germans sell engineering masterpieces and people who buy cars to drive them(not eat in them)can see the difference.

You can equip a base 1.6 Audi A3 the same as the top of the range Audi S3. So this nullifies your statement.

"They buy them because they are engineered and built to a lot higher standards than the Japanese trash". As far as I can remember, its Toyota and Lexus who always get the highest score in reliability ratings across the world. I don't think that Toyota is building the LF-A or has created the Lexus brand because it needs a better image. Its already the biggest selling band in the world. Its just trying to enter a new market, and with the LS600h and the IS-series, it has succeeded in doing so. And even if Lexus has not reached the reputation of MB or BMW yet (as some people seem to be insinuating), it will surely not take long for this to happen. And even if Toyota fails with the LF-A, it will simply go back to the drawing board and come out with something better cause it has the time and money to do so cause it's already No.1 globally.

Mercedes is gonna run out of badges soon.
A,B,C,CL,CLC, CLK,CLS,E,G,Gl,M,ML, R, S,SL,SLK, what else is necessary.

BTw does anyone know why mercedes calls the ML the M-class but only badges it as the ML? I had three ML's and they never knew the answer.

They didn't copy Lexus, now go dig your head in the sand.

Because it was to be called the M class, but BMW sued them for infringement of the M badge, so they used ML. Everyone calls it the M class though.

Thanks for the clarification, that was my theory in the beginning.

I forgot SLR

Keep dreaming MT you goof.

Better not look like a minibus :)

Toyato certainly does have enough money to bleed Germany dry. But to argue that one company is better than the other is stupid. Both companies produce excellent, semi-unique cars. To say otherswise is obsurd. But it is fun to see how obsessive people are with certain brands