Mercedes-Benz is set to raise its premium compact car game in a big way in the coming years, all thanks to its new MFA front-wheel drive platform that replaces the 'sandwich-floor' underpinnings found beneath the current A- and B-Class hatchbacks.
The first MFA-platform car will be the all-new A-Class that's due in 2012 - which is said to have a far sportier vibe than the current car, but that's just the beginning.
International media reports now state that Mercedes-Benz has confirmed that they're also working on a four-door coupe and a crossover SUV that will also be based on this platform.
The most tantalising prospect to us is the former, something of a 'baby CLS', which insiders say resembles the current CLS - although it's also certain to take much inspiration from the F800 concept car shown here.
At face value this 'poor man's CLS' seems destined to succeed, although it remains to be seen how much fun the driving experience will be, given that it will be front-wheel driven.
This baby CLS is due to hit international markets around the middle of 2013, about a year before the MFA-based crossover SUV emerges to do battle with the BMW X1 and Audi Q3.