There is a distinct possibility that some heads will roll at Mercedes-Benz after we publish these photos, but there is no way we couldn't show you how the next-generation A-Class and its sedan counterpart will look, almost 6 months early.
Keep in mind that parts of the bodywork, such as plastic elements from the grill or the bits surrounding the windows will not be painted the same color as the body. Other than that, what you see in the adjacent photo gallery is exactly what you will get at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show when the A-Class W177 in both hatch and sedan guises will be officially revealed.
Judging by the bright orange paint found on both spied models, it is likely that the two prototypes were spotted right before Mercedes-Benz engineers took them to be crash-tested in an in-house testing facility near Stuttgart.
Not visible in the photos, but the sedan will have a largely identical front-end with the hatchback, both having been previewed by the Concept A Sedan. Furthermore, it seems that the 2018 Mercedes-Benz CLS will also have similar headlights as the smallest Mercedes, not to mention the matching inverted grille look.
We don't yet know how the interior will look since the previously spotted prototypes were carrying a mishmash of knobs and buttons from various other Mercedes-Benz models. We do know that better-equipped versions of the compact will have two large displays, one standing in for the analog odometer.
Engine wise, a new generation of four-cylinder powerplants is expected on both the diesel and the gasoline front. On the lower end, the 1.5-liter diesels sourced from Renault are apparently being replaced by a newer 1.6-liter, while gasoline engines will have a displacement starting from 1.2-liter to 2.0-liters.
The seven-speed dual-clutch transmissions are allegedly being replaced by a newly developed 9-speed, while the 6-speed manual will be carried over from the W176. Instead of a single AMG version, the A45 will get a smaller brother, likely to be powered by a version of the recently introduced 2.0-liter 4-cylinder with mild-hybrid technology.
Either way, we'll know more about the car once it gets closer to its official reveal, but we can definitely say that new A-Class looks larger and a lot more aggressive.
Judging by the bright orange paint found on both spied models, it is likely that the two prototypes were spotted right before Mercedes-Benz engineers took them to be crash-tested in an in-house testing facility near Stuttgart.
Not visible in the photos, but the sedan will have a largely identical front-end with the hatchback, both having been previewed by the Concept A Sedan. Furthermore, it seems that the 2018 Mercedes-Benz CLS will also have similar headlights as the smallest Mercedes, not to mention the matching inverted grille look.
We don't yet know how the interior will look since the previously spotted prototypes were carrying a mishmash of knobs and buttons from various other Mercedes-Benz models. We do know that better-equipped versions of the compact will have two large displays, one standing in for the analog odometer.
Engine wise, a new generation of four-cylinder powerplants is expected on both the diesel and the gasoline front. On the lower end, the 1.5-liter diesels sourced from Renault are apparently being replaced by a newer 1.6-liter, while gasoline engines will have a displacement starting from 1.2-liter to 2.0-liters.
The seven-speed dual-clutch transmissions are allegedly being replaced by a newly developed 9-speed, while the 6-speed manual will be carried over from the W176. Instead of a single AMG version, the A45 will get a smaller brother, likely to be powered by a version of the recently introduced 2.0-liter 4-cylinder with mild-hybrid technology.
Either way, we'll know more about the car once it gets closer to its official reveal, but we can definitely say that new A-Class looks larger and a lot more aggressive.