Mercedes found a gold mine when it turned the A-Class into a Golf-sized compact. But it also made some mistakes with the packaging, which will be corrected by the second generation model, codenamed W177 and scheduled to debut within a year.
The A-Class is Merc's rival to premium hatchbacks like the BMW 1 Series and Audi A3. However, German buyers with deep enough pockets sometimes pick it over the Focus and Golf due to the famous badge and how they are treated at Mercedes dealerships.
The platform for 2018 is derived from the old one, the MFA, one of four bespoke architectures Mercedes used to make everything from the CLA to the Infiniti QX30.
Despite not being the first MFA-based car to come out (that title belongs to the B-Class), the A-Class is getting a replacement first. That just goes to show the huge role played by a 5-door hatchback. However, we know that the compact car family will be expanded to eight members shortly, with possible additions including a coupe, roadster, A-Class sedan, and more practical GLB crossover.
One immediate improvement we see here is the larger trunk opening, which now splits the taillights down the middle. At the front, we notice the hood is much lower and the LED headlights are probably as smart as on the E-Class, provided you pay enough money.
Despite neither of these prototypes having visible exhaust mufflers, at least one of them sounds good. The gear changes are like clockwork, which means a twin-clutch gearbox is doing the work, while the engine in question is likely the 2-liter of an A220 or A 250.
The competitive engine range will also see the introduction of a mildly hot hatchback, liable to be branded as the A40 and packing closer to 300 horsepower.
If you're looking for a cheap, practical but very engaging Mercedes, this might very well be it. The 2018 model might tow 750 kilos, carry about 360 liters of stuff and drink very little fuel thanks to a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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