Even though most of our readers will be aware of Mercedes’ plans to launch a small “four-door coupe” thanks to a series of scoops we’ve brought you over the past year, the German automaker made it official on Thursday during the opening ceremony of its new passenger car plant in Kecskemét, Hungary, which began series production of the new B-Class.
The place and time were not selected by chance as the compact sports sedan will become the second product for the new Kecskemét factory.
Mercedes did not release the name of the car (rumor has it that it will be called CLC or CLA), but it won’t be long before we find out as the company will unveil a concept study in April, either at the New York Auto Show or the Beijing Motor Show, perhaps even at both events.
The CLC or CLA will ride on an elongated version of the new A-Class’ MFA modular platform that allows for the use of both front- and all-wheel drive layouts, with its styling heavily influenced from the larger CLS.
During the opening ceremony of the Kecskemét plant, Mercedes revealed that it has already received more than 100,000 orders for the B-Class since its launch in November 2011.
Series production of the B-Class began last fall at the Rastatt assembly plant in Germany. Mercedes said that the joint production of the B-Class in Rastatt and in Kecskemét “enables flexible and optimum management of both plants’ capacity utilization”.
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