Mercedes to Import Smaller Models

After the little city slicker, the Smart, debuted last year, Mercedes-Benz is considering introducing the A Class and B Class to the American market.

The news broke in a Wall Street Journal interview with Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche.

The small range would compete with Europe’s compact BMW 1 Series and the Audi A3. The launch could possibly coincide with the 2011 arrival of the new A Class and B Class in Europe.

However, with the quickly forgotten financial crisis, bad habits may very well resurface. We now know that the "Cash for Clunkers" programme in the United States enables buyers to replace their big SUVs with other big SUVs. Meanwhile, Smart car sales took a nose dive in October, with a 70% decrease in comparison to the same quarter in 2008.

Nonetheless, the A Class and B Class tread on different waters, as they are more spacious vehicles carrying the badge of an established brand.

Only time will tell if America is up to the challenge of switching to compact cars.