Acknowledging the whims of the North American market, Mercedes is reportedly considering the development of a B-Class plug-in hybrid. This should not be a surprise since Mercedes has been saying all along that hybrids are a class of drivetrains that will be part of their offerings. As the smallest Mercedes available in the U.S. market, the B-Class will be another component of their war against their German rivals.

But as other variants of the B-Class have shown, this small Mercedes is by no means an entry-level vehicle. Interior appointments and safety features are at par with those of the C- and even E-Class. With the introduction of a plug-in hybrid, MBNA is giving buyers in one of its largest markets even more choices and options to get into these superbly engineered cars.