Apart from the (maybe) two AMG versions, the parking lot is where most 2019 Mercedes-Benz A-Class models will see a racing track from.
This hasn't stopped Mercedes-Benz to test a whole bunch of W177 A-Class versions on the Nurburgring so far, and the carmaker continues to do so about a year from the model's official reveal.
Based on the so-called MFA2 (Modular Front-wheel-drive Architecture) platform, the fourth generation of the smallest Mercedes will bring a lot of goodies to the table, including an all-new design language for the three-pointed star.
The car's new front end was somewhat previewed by the Concept A Sedan, which was unveiled at the 2017 Shanghai Auto Show. Sadly, the sedan concept car arrived in China without a working interior, so we don't have a clue yet if the A-Class' cockpit will suffer a similar design revolution to the exterior.
Either way, expect the MFA2 platform to be developed from the start to accept plug-in hybrid powertrains, and possibly even an all-electric version in the future. The car will be visibly wider and a tad lower, without cutting into the passenger headroom.
Neither of the various pre-production prototypes that our spies caught running around the Nurburgring seems to be an AMG model, but it is expected that the A45 successor will cross the 400-horsepower barrier and become the most powerful hot hatch in the world once again.
The engine lineup for the non-AMG versions will exclusively consist of turbocharged four-cylinders, both gasoline and diesel, with some of them likely opting for a mild-hybrid setup thanks to a 48V electrical system.
Not yet confirmed, but there are some rumors that suggest a three-door configuration making a return after it skipped a generation. If theses turn out to be true, you can be sure to expect an A-Class Cabriolet at some point as well, but don't get your hopes up.
Meanwhile, the five-door versions being tested on the Green Hell seem to handle quite well for not being full-blown hot-hatches, but we'll reserve our final opinion for when the car is launched.
Alex handled his first real steering wheel at the age of five (on a field) and started practicing "Scandinavian Flicks" at 14 (on non-public gravel roads). Following his time at the University of Journalism, he landed his first real job at the local franchise of Top Gear magazine a few years before Mircea (Panait). Not long after, Alex entered the New Media realm with the autoevolution.com project. Full profile
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