Mercedes B-Class Caught Testing in California Suggests US Launch
Despite being sold in Canada, Mercedes-Benz has yet to offer its B-Class to an American audience, though reports of that changing have been floating for years.
That change might come about soon as spy photos of the little Merc testing on U.S. soil emerge to suggest. Mercedes has yet to announce exactly when the B-Class will jump the border into the U.S. in a retail capacity, but with the all-new version primed for sale in the country late this year as a 2013 model, the timing seems prime.
With concepts like the B-Class E-Cell Plus on display at last year’s Frankfurt Auto Show and the trend toward smaller cars growing, there is no question that moving into the A and B segments will be a good move on Mercedes’ part.
It isn’t clear which engines will make it to the U.S. version, but the Canadian car is powered by a 1.6-liter turbocharged four cylinder with 156 hp. Given that BMW is already making a push into the American EV market, it would make sense for Mercedes to offer something more efficient than the gas-only B200. Then again, that would probably mean offering a diesel powerplant, something the brand will finally offer in the GLK 250 BluetTEC, but has otherwise been scarce in American driveways.
GALLERY: Mercedes B-Class spy photos
Photo Credit: Frank Filipponio
Luke is an energetic automotive journalist who spends his time covering industry news and crawling the internet for the latest breaking story. When he isn't in the office, Luke can be found obsessively browsing used car listings, drinking scotch at his favorite bar and dreaming of what to drive next, though the list grows a lot faster than his bank account. He's always on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> looking for a good car conversation. Find Luke on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> and <A title="Luke on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/112531385961538774338?rel=author">Google+</A>.
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