Photo: X-Tomi Design
We love Mercedes preview concepts, even though they don't always stay true to what's about to happen. But just like the GLC Coupe study from a few years back, the Concept A Limousine has blown the Shanghai Auto Show away.
A compact sedan from a luxury automaker is nothing if not led by its design. Without the flashy interior or the oversized Mercedes grille, the current A-Class wouldn't stand a chance against much more engaging hatchbacks.
But even though they also have the CLA, marketed in most markets as a sedan, the Germans want to have a full-fledged A-Class 4-door as well. We don't blame them, and neither does BMW, who debuted the 1 Series sedan in China way before beginning testing for the controversial FWD 1 Series hatch.
There's no way of knowing what the production model will look like, but this rendering from X-Tomi Design gives us our first clues. He added mirrors, wheels and other design elements from current models.
Something tells us that the lower front bumper won't be a huge mouth-shaped intake. But the triangular headlights and Panamericana grille are likely to stick, at least on high-end models. The sharp face will take some getting used to, but it's certainly more interesting than the vanilla E-Class.
We don't know how we feel about this being the cheapest sedan Mercedes offers. On the one hand, the styling makes you want to say "welcome to the future." But the CLA-Class was never taken seriously, while this will a full-fledged four-door five-seater powered by its front wheels, the very definition of brand dilution.
We've heard plenty of horror stories regarding the reliability of the Hungarian-built Daimler models. That's the area where a reputable brand with well over a century of history should focus most of its efforts. Unfortunately, the A-Class Limousine will be a hybrid self-driving computer screen with small engines.
But even though they also have the CLA, marketed in most markets as a sedan, the Germans want to have a full-fledged A-Class 4-door as well. We don't blame them, and neither does BMW, who debuted the 1 Series sedan in China way before beginning testing for the controversial FWD 1 Series hatch.
There's no way of knowing what the production model will look like, but this rendering from X-Tomi Design gives us our first clues. He added mirrors, wheels and other design elements from current models.
Something tells us that the lower front bumper won't be a huge mouth-shaped intake. But the triangular headlights and Panamericana grille are likely to stick, at least on high-end models. The sharp face will take some getting used to, but it's certainly more interesting than the vanilla E-Class.
We don't know how we feel about this being the cheapest sedan Mercedes offers. On the one hand, the styling makes you want to say "welcome to the future." But the CLA-Class was never taken seriously, while this will a full-fledged four-door five-seater powered by its front wheels, the very definition of brand dilution.
We've heard plenty of horror stories regarding the reliability of the Hungarian-built Daimler models. That's the area where a reputable brand with well over a century of history should focus most of its efforts. Unfortunately, the A-Class Limousine will be a hybrid self-driving computer screen with small engines.
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