#B-class

The all-new Mercedes-Benz B-Class is to debut at the Frankfurt auto show this September, and the German automaker has just released interior photos of what the luxury hatchback will look like.

Mercedes-Benz has officially released details regarding the new B-Class and the brands plans to release a dedicated ‘eco’ version as well as offer four-wheel drive and a range of alternatively powered models after the initial launch.

The next generation Mercedes-Benz B-Class will make its debut at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show in September, however photos have been leaked, and we have them.

It’s called the B55 and it comes packed with the firms old 5.5-liter V8 motor, which produces 383-hp and 391 ft-lbs of torque. That is considerably more power than what the normal B-class has to offer.

In the past, if you wanted a high-performance Mercedes B-Class, you’d have to look to the aftermarket and even then, the best tuners like Brabus could offer was a 190-hp diesel version that hit 62-mph in 8.4 seconds. Not exactly high-performance.

Mercedes-Benz will introduce a new B-Class platform in Europe in 2011, with many different variants – several of which are destined for the U.S. According to a recent report by Automotive News, Mercedes will bring up to three B-Class models to the U.S., including a hatchback, sedan and a small crossover. The move comes as little surprise if Mercedes it to compete with premium level hatchbacks like the Audi A3 and Lexus CT200h, as well as crossovers like the upcoming BMW X1. (Mercedes BLK anyone?)

AMG has made its mark in the auto industry by building immensely powerful engines to propel large and luxurious Mercedes-Benz models to unimaginable speeds. But with Merc now looking at the lower end of the market, AMG is being forced to do so as well. AMG, however, has its own plans.

While 2009 was a tumultuous year for automakers, the worldwide economic crisis pushed the auto industry into the mainstream automotive media’s spotlight, making big automotive news stories even bigger. And while new products continued to be introduced, they garnered possibly even more attention that ever before. With that in mind, we thought we’d take a look back at some of the Top 10 biggest stories of 2009 for an automaker that didn’t recoil, but continued on, unveiling an all-new version of one of its most important models, delivering a new exotic car to market, promising an electric car in the future… and making some big changes in its motorsports program. That automaker is Mercedes-Benz.

Mercedes will introduce at least one small car to the U.S. in 2012, doing a 180 on a past decision to stick to larger vehicles in order to enforce the brand’s high-end image. The news comes directly from CEO Dr. Dieter Zetsche, in an interview in the Wall Street Journal. The car would compete with vehicles like the BMW 1 Series, Audi A3, Volvo C30 and MINI Cooper – as well as a possible compact luxury vehicle from Lexus based on the LF-Ch concept.

Mercedes-Benz introduced its BlueZero E-Cell Plus concept car at the Frankfurt Auto show.

We’ve already seen a pre-production electric B-Class concept and a hydrogen fuel-cell B-Class concept. Now Mercedes is readying a plug-in electric hybrid based on the B-Class chassis, which will debut in a more complete form at the Frankfurt Auto Show in just a few weeks time.