Front-wheel Mercs on the way

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Mercedes says that it's new alliance partner, Renault-Nissan, may use the MFA design for a new entry-level, US-bound Infiniti model.
Neil Dowling
Contributing Journalist
4 Feb 2011
1 min read

The big German says it will present a new A-Class and B-Class series using a common platform.  These two hatchback models will be supplemented by a coupe, an SUV and a convertible.

In a twist, Mercedes has started a relationship with Renault-Nissan that could see that group also use the platform.  Called MFA - or Mercedes Front-wheel drive Architecture - it will start rolling out late this year (B-Class) and then in mid-2012, the A-Class.

It plans a coupe and convertible in mid-2013 and an SUV in early 2014.  The coupe is rumoured to be based on the styling of the CLS four-door and the SUV will be pitched against the BMW X1 in size and price.

Mercedes says that it's new alliance partner, Renault-Nissan, may use the MFA design for a new entry-level, US-bound Infiniti model.  The Infiniti would not compete with the new Mercedes A-Class and B-Class because they are not sold in the US.

Neil Dowling
Contributing Journalist
GoAutoMedia Cars have been the corner stone to Neil’s passion, beginning at pre-school age, through school but then pushed sideways while he studied accounting. It was rekindled when he started contributing to magazines including Bushdriver and then when he started a motoring section in Perth’s The Western Mail. He was then appointed as a finance writer for the evening Daily News, supplemented by writing its motoring column. He moved to The Sunday Times as finance editor and after a nine-year term, finally drove back into motoring when in 1998 he was asked to rebrand and restyle the newspaper’s motoring section, expanding it over 12 years from a two-page section to a 36-page lift-out. In 2010 he was selected to join News Ltd’s national motoring group Carsguide and covered national and international events, launches, news conferences and Car of the Year awards until November 2014 when he moved into freelancing, working for GoAuto, The West Australian, Western 4WDriver magazine, Bauer Media and as an online content writer for one of Australia’s biggest car groups. He has involved himself in all aspects including motorsport where he has competed in everything from motocross to motorkhanas and rallies including Targa West and the ARC Forest Rally. He loves all facets of the car industry, from design, manufacture, testing, marketing and even business structures and believes cars are one of the few high-volume consumables to combine a very high degree of engineering enlivened with an even higher degree of emotion from its consumers.
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