In an interview awarded to Automotive News, Joachim Schmidt, head of the Sales & Marketing department at Mercedes-Benz, stated that the Stuttgart-based carmaker is currently working on several compact variants, developed on the revolutionary MFA front-driven platform, that will enter the U.S. market within the next three years. “We will introduce the next generation of our MFA family to the U.S.,” he said. Moreover, “Two variants, maybe even a third, are planned for the U.S.”, Schmidt further added. The future lineup of compact models will include up to four versions for Europe; the first of the series, the new B-Klasse MPV that comes by the end of 2011 and the A-Klasse hatchback that arrives in the summer of 2012, will not be sold in USA, but if there's an indication of a possible substantial demand, the officials might reconsider the situation, as Joachim Schmidt concludes: “The U.S. is not the typical compact hatchback market but if the demand arises, we could react very quickly and introduce these two variants in the U.S. far quicker than in the past.”. For the North Americans, Mercedes-Benz will offer a range of three interesting models, which includes a coupe (most probably a 4-door one - the little brother of the CLS), a small SUV (call it baby GLK, that may receive the name "BLK") and a third option - either a compact cabriolet or a shooting brake. The coupe and SUV will arrive six months after the Europe debut, which means 2013 and 2014, respectively.
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