MERCEDES-BENZ has confirmed that it will make a replacement for the A-class, despite speculation that the creation of a four-door Smart would make a new A-class redundant. Dr Joachim Schmidt, member of the Board for Passenger Cars, Mercedes-Benz, smart and head of sales and marketing for DaimlerChrysler, said the manufacturer 'will definitely make a successor to the A-class', but that Mercedes had ruled out a B-class to sit between A and C classes. (July 2000)