Last year, Mercedes sold 1.36 million units, around 300,000 less than BMW. According to Manager Magazin, Zetsche plans to reach the number one spot by almost doubling the three-pointed star’s production to 2.7 million vehicles by 2020 and increase its operating profit beyond 10 percent.
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To make things a bit more interesting, we learn that Mercedes will put several camouflaged 2012 A-Class hatchbacks in circulation in various German cities as part of a competition that will see one contestant winning a trip to the car's unveiling in Geneva.
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You see, the Stuttgart-based company decided to compete more directly with the BMW 1-Series and even the higher-end versions of the VW Golf and as a result, opted for a sportier looking hatchback body built on a conventional platform instead of the tall, minivan-like shape and sandwich floor of the first two generations of the A-Class.
These latest spy shots of a five-door prototype of the A-Class testing in Europe suggest that the development of the car is nearing its end as engineers have removed much of its camouflage. If you want to see what the final model will look like, you can check out the patent images we posted earlier this year.
The “Power 88” plan that Ghosn revealed last June calls for the rapid expansion of Infiniti, which is an established player in the U.S. market but almost non-existent in Europe: in 2010 it sold 4,500 units, a tenth of BMW’s January 45,000 sales…
Back in August, we revealed that Infiniti was preparing a small, entry-level premium model to compete with the likes of Audi’s A3 and BMW’s 1-Series, and that it would use another premium carmaker’s help: Mercedes Benz and its newly developed MFA platform employed by the 2012 A-Class.
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And while we're patiently waiting for the standard A-Class to be officially revealed, our spy photographers moved on to the next big thing from Mercedes as they managed to capture the flagship AMG model testing in Germany.
The five-door hatchback you see pictured in these latest spy shots is the upcoming 2012 A-Class, which has been redesigned to offer Mercedes-Benz a more direct rival to the BMW 1-Series, Audi A3 and to a lesser extent, the Lexus CT 200h.
Clearly descended from the current-generation of Stuttgart’s mini-MPV model, the new B-Class follows a more conservative styling language than its smaller sibling, the 2012 A-Class, official patent images of which we showed you in May (see here).
The five-seat 2012 B-Class is based on a new front-wheel drive platform which brings an increase in dimensions and consequently, improved interior space for both passengers and the luggage area.
The new B-class, dubbed W246, will benefit from an updated lineup of turbocharged four-cylinder engines with direct-injection and start/stop technologies in both diesel and petrol flavors.
It is believed that Mercedes-Benz will lift the covers off the new B-Class at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show this September with sales to follow next year. Mercedes-Benz officials have not revealed any plans to bring the B-Class to the USA.
Stay tuned for more spy shots as well as the actual production versions of both the 2012 A- and B-Class models as we’re nearing closer to their launch.
The German automaker also presented the first footage showing the Concept A-Class in motion and capturing the car's most appealing exterior and interior angles. Scroll down to watch both videos dedicated to the concept that previews Stuttgart’s upcoming rival to the BMW 1 Series and Audi A3.
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For starters, Mercedes is giving up the minivan-like silhouette of the current A-Class for a more dramatic and sporty looking two-box profile with a long bonnet and a low roof-line. The concept’s exterior design details are heavily influenced by Stuttgart’s most recent prototypes such as the CLS Shooting Brake and especially the F800.
Aside from the new nose with a prominent Mercedes grille, the three-door Concept A-Class also features concave surfaces with sweeping lines throughout the body.
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