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Next Mercedes A-Class based on the new Mini?
By Yoann Besnard on 9 July 2007 | 
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According to the German car magazine Autobild, Mercedes could use the new Mini platform for their next A-Class.
It is very likely that the next A-Class will lose its innovative platform. Dubbed “Sandwich“, the platform enables the engine and the transmission to slide underneath the floor below the pedals rather than entering the passenger compartment in the event of a violent frontal impact. Unfortunately, this platform is very expensive to make and is not as flexible as other platforms. Even though Mercedes succeeded in extracting the B-Class from it, deriving a roadster variant would be close to impossible.
In order to reduce cost and to compete equally with the Audi A3 and BMW 1-Series, Mercedes decided to reuse the C-Class platform for the future B Class and the hypothetical baby roadster. This will enable the compact MPV model to be fitted with a bigger engine and adopt the RWD scheme, as well as comply more closely with the Mercedes brand image. However, using the C-Class platform for the A-Class would increase the size of the baby Benz and Mercedes would lose current customers to the competition.
Basing the future A-Class on the Mini platform would make sense for Mercedes as it would share costs with BMW. The latter would be able to use its assembly lines in the Oxford plant and would increase the profit margin made on the Mini.
