Mercedes To Abandon Plans For Next-Generation A & B-Class?

According to a report from the German financial newspaper Wirtschafts Woche, Daimler-no-more-Chrylser has scrapped its plans to introduce a successor to the MPV-like A & B-Class hatches in 2011. Instead, Daimler boss Dieter Zetsche is said to have given the o.k for an all new sporty compact hatch in order to compete head on with the sportier Audi A3 and BMW 1-Series models. -Continued after the jump

Wirtschafts Woche notes that the new sporty hatch could also spawn a compact coupe as replacement for the somewhat larger, C-class based, Sportcoupé. Even though the German newspaper doesn’t say it, we’re guessing that, unlike the current FWD A and B-Class models, all three versions of Mercedes’ compact model (3d, 5d and coupe) will make use of a rear-wheel drive biased platform.

Via: Autoblog.nl , Source: Wirtschafts Woche