2018 Mercedes-Benz A-Class Filmed While Testing in Spain

This time, our spy photographers have supplied us with moving images of two Mercedes-Benz prototypes of the W177 model, which will become the 2018 A-Class.

Just like the previous time these cars were seen in public by spy photographers, they were being tested in Spain. Evidently, the country was chosen for its warm weather at this time of the year, which makes testing in Germany with summer tires impossible or too risky on a day-to-day basis.

The new video you can see embedded below has revealed to us that Mercedes-Benz was testing two different prototypes at the same time. Even with the sound muted, you can discern that there are two cars in the footage because of their distinct license plates, and the fact that they have different rims. With the sound on, a careful ear will notice the way that the second prototype sounds while driving, which is more pronounced than the first example.

It is worth noting that the cars were being tested on public roads, so the engineers were far away from the limits of these machines. We would add that this might be the reason why you did not see these cars driven anywhere near their limits of grip, but the second prototype was visibly being “pushed” slightly further than its brother.

We believe that the prototype that has its license plate ending in “32” is the upcoming Mercedes-AMG A40, which is supposed to be a toned-down version of the A45, but with a more affordable price tag. It 's hard to say if that will be its final name, but some reports point in that direction.

The Mercedes-AMG A40 was expected to deliver about 300 HP, but it could offer up to 340 HP. Regardless, the cars seen in the video could also be two identical cars that feature similar powertrains, but one of them might have an extra package of some sort.