The Mercedes-Benz A-Clas has come an extremely long way from its humble beginning and the German automaker is now making the final steps towards the introduction of the fourth-gen model. An amateur spy shooter has recently spotted the 2018 A-Class testing in Stuttgart and, given the advances development stage of the compact, the test car was covered in heavy camouflage.
The rumor mill talks about the 2018 Mercedes-Benz A-Class, which uses the W177 codename, being set to land in March next year, at the Geneva Motor Show.
One word that will perfectly describe the all-new A is "diversity". For instance, the entry-level Mercedes-Benz is expected to follow the example of the C-Class and offer up to four headlight designs, obviously according to how much you're willing to pay for the car.
The outgoing A-Class, which may regard as the first incarnation of the car to be fully worthy of the three-pointed star badge, has its limitations in terms of cabin space and the newcomer is set to address this.
As for the cabin, a previous spy session has allowed us to take a peek inside the compact and we've added the shots of the dashboard to the image gallery above.
In the powetrain department, we're looking forward to a few important changes. At the bottom of the oil-burning lineupo, the Renault-borrowed 1.5-liter four-cylinder will be replaced the French carmaker's more advanced 1.6-liter mill. As for the aging 2.1-liter diesel, this will make room for the transverse-mounted 2.0-liter diesel that made its debut on the new W213 E-Class.
As for the bulk of gas-engined models, these will be animated by upgraded versions of the current 1.6-liter and 2.0-liter units.
The W177 A-Class will also offer multiple hybrid configurations, from mild-hybrid hardware to one that will also be able to drive under electric power alone.
As for the Affalterbach side of the equation, the range-topping A45 will develop into a hyper-hatch, one that will mix north of 400 ponies with all-wheel-drive and uber-wide tracks, all with the aim of dominating the Audi RS3 and the rumored BMW M2 CS. Further down the power line, we'll find a nine-speed dual-clutch tranny and an AWD system with a more neutral torque distribution (torque vectoring will also be on the menu).
Mirroring the scheme offered for larger models, where the Mercedes-AMG 43 models accompany the fully-grown 63 cars, we'll also be treated with an A32/A36/A40 super-hatch, one whose output will sit at around 320-340 hp.
You will have to brace yourselves for the moment when the financial side of the generation change is announced, though, with all the upgrades above obviously set to come at a price.
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
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