AUGUST 5, 2013 • 13

futureproducts

P A R T 2 : E U R O P E What do the terms mean?● Freshen: Minor changes to interior and exterior, such as newgrille, fascia, front and rear lights or seat surfaces.

● Re-engineering: Significant engineering changes, such asrevised powertrain, chassis, suspension, center stack or interior.Often includes some new sheet metal.

● Redesign: New platform, powertrain, interior and sheetmetal. Engine and transmission could be carried over.

● New: A nameplate added to lineup.

European brands race into compact segmentsDiana T. Kurylko

dkurylko@crain.com

uropean automakers are charginginto compact car and crossover seg-ments, eager to pick up buyers aged30 to 45.

Mercedes-Benz and BMW have developedfront-wheel-drive platforms that will beshared by several vehicles. Mercedes’ newcompact sedan, crossover and hatchbackhave 80 percent commonality, says DieterZetsche, CEO of parent Daimler AG.

BMW’s new fwd platform also will be used

by a new generation of Mini models startingin early 2014.

Jaguar is planning a compact sedan andcrossover. Both are expected to be on sale inthe United States within two years.

Volvo is the laggard. It has yet to launchany vehicles to replace the lineup developedunder former owner Ford Motor Co. But itdoes have a new architecture that will beused for most compact vehicles as they arereplaced. The first will be the XC90crossover that is scheduled to go on sale inlate 2014.

European luxury brands are not ignoringthe upper end of the market. Mercedes willroll out a new S-class family, starting withthe high-technology sedan in September. Itwill challenge Bentley and Rolls-Royce witha superluxury version priced at $200,000 to$250,000.

In response, BMW is considering an 8-se-ries coupe that would be priced higher thantoday’s 7-series sedan.

Our look at future product plans for Volks-wagen Group brands, including Audi, willappear in the Sept. 9 issue.c

Diana T. Kurylko has beendigging up details aboutEuropean import brandsfor many years. She spent10 years in Frankfurt andBrussels, coveringEurope’s car companiesfor Automotive News,before returning to theUnited States in 2001.

E

M-B platform, S class to yield many spinoffsDiana T. Kurylko

dkurylko@crain.com

he same front-wheel-drive plat-form that spawned Mercedes-

Benz’s new CLA four-door will bethe basis of two more compacts

next year: the B-class Electric Drive five-door and the GLA crossover.

The CLA will be in showrooms nextmonth, as will Mercedes’ redesigned S-class sedan. Over the next two years, fournew body styles derived from the S classwill arrive, including a long-wheelbaserange topper.

Here is a summary of Mercedes’ new

product plans.CLA: The four-door sedan is the first

front-wheel-drive Mercedes offered inthe United States. The CLA45 AMG ver-sion with 355 hp and all-wheel drive goeson sale in November. A coupe derivativeis possible after 2018, when Mercedes re-designs its fwd vehicle range.

B class: The electric version of the newfive-door sold in Europe will go on sale inthe United States in early 2014. The B-class Electric Drive will be the only elec-tric Mercedes available in the UnitedStates for the time being.

GLA: The compact crossover, a BMW

X1 competitor, will hit showrooms in thefall of 2014.

C class: The redesigned compactsedan will get slightly larger and will havea more luxurious interior when it arrivesin September 2014. Variants will beadded later, including a convert-

ible, plug-in hybrid and 50-state cleandiesel.

Starting next year, the C-class sedanwill be built in Tuscaloosa, Ala., for the

2ND HALF

LAUNCH TIMELINE2013

2ND HALF1ST HALF

Aston Martin

BMW

Jaguar

Land Rover

Mercedes-Benz

Mini

Smart

Rolls-Royce

Volvo

Vantage S debutRapide S debutDB9 re-engineering

3-series GT debut4 series debut5 series freshen5-series GT freshenX5 redesign

LR4 freshenRange Rover Sport redesign

CLA debutS-class sedan redesignSprinter freshen

Wraith debut

Vanquish Volante debut

2-series coupe debut4-series convertible debutM3 redesigni3 debuti8 debut

F-Type coupe debut

Range Rover Evoque convertible debut?

B-class Electric Drive debutS class AMG redesignSLK freshenML freshen

Cooper hardtop redesign

Ghost freshen

V60 redesign

2014 second half

2-series convertible debut4-series Gran Coupe debutX4 debut

Q-Type debut

LR2 redesign

GLA debutC-class sedan debutCLS freshenS-class coupe debut

XC90 redesign

Active Tourer debutX6 redesign

Q-Type coupe?Compact crossover debut?

E-class redesignS-class hybrid debutS-class convertible debutS-class ultraluxury sedan debutSL freshenSLS AMG freshen?SLC AMG debut?MLC debut

Cooper convertible redesign

S80 redesignC80 debut?

X1 redesign

XF redesign

GL freshen

Countryman freshen

ForTwo redesign

Wraith convertible debut?

7-series sedan redesign

X3 freshen

XF coupe debut?

LR4 redesign

E-class coupe, convertible redesign

XC60 redesignXC70 redesign?

2016 1st half

Z4 redesign

Q-Type station wagon debut?

GLK redesign

Clubman freshen

ForFour debut

Phantom redesign

S60 redesign?

20152ND HALF 1ST HALF

20142ND HALF

20161ST HALF

TMercedes-Benz B-classElectric Drive startsU.S. sales in2014.

see MERCEDES, Page 16

2014ROLLS-ROYCEWRAITH

2014 ASTON MARTIN VANTAGE S

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