Stuttgart, Germany  - Mercedes is mulling plans to sell its small A and B Class models in the United States, the Vice President of Marketing at Mercedes-Benz in the US, Stephen Cannon, told Germany's auto-motor-sport magazine.

"We are feeling the trend towards smaller cars. The B-Class is already running well in Canada," Cannon said, adding that a final decision had not yet been made.

Like all other car makers, Mercedes has also been hit by the slump in car sales in the US market with sales expected to fall 10 per cent over 2007 when 253,000 Mercedes cars sold.

In reaction to the general trend towards smaller and more economical cars, Mercedes is planning to offer more, four-cylinder models including diesel versions in every model segment.

Mercedes diesels cost about 1,500 dollars more than the petrol version in the US.

The additional cost, however, is covered after about two years because of the cheaper diesel price and improved economy compared to 6.5 years for a hybrid model, according to Cannon.

The A-Class or "baby Mercedes" is the smallest Mercedes in the range. The micro-car, running under the label Smart, also belongs to Daimler and was launched on the US market earlier this year. (dpa)