4th-generation compact car will further emphasise luxury & individuality.
It appears that German manufacturer Mercedes-Benz has fallen in love again with its A-Class compact range, with the third-generation of the tri-star badged compact selling in immensely strong numbers globally, easily eclipsing the popularity of the preceding two iterations. And while the 3rd-gen car has led the charge for more youthful, more adventurous experiences from the Mercedes-Benz brand, the newer model appears to take a step in a direction similar to the rest of the range.
In a handful of new teasers, the cabin of the A-Class shows off its more upmarket design language in its entirety, displaying a design language that could rather easily be mistaken for something out of the plusher and larger C-Class and E-Class models. There’s certainly been a trickle-down effect here and that’s no bad thing considering the reception that the new Benz design language has enjoyed, and with the new A-Class leading an eight-way compact car lineup expansion, this emphasis on luxury is rather well timed.
Precious little of the outgoing model is retained in the cabin design-wise, with technology playing a far more important role than before.
“It’s a much more mature car, with greater space and improved comfort, together with ground-breaking connectivity and user-interface functions. We’ve made a big step in every area and consider it to be a class-leader in terms of technology and safety, much of which is equal to or, in some cases, even more advanced than that already used by the C-, E-, and S-Class.” – Senior Official, Mercedes-Benz
A report from Autocar suggests that options and choices will also play a large part in the new A-Class experience. On the matter, Mercedes-Benz’s interior design boss said that the much younger average age of the A-Class buyer meant that cabin options were a greater focus than mechanical options, in contrast to the rest of the range.
“There is a general trend for people to spend more on interior options rather than, for example, pending money on a better engine. People spend more time in their cars and want comfort, so their willingness to pay for interior options is growing.” — Hartmut Sinkwitz, Director (Interior Design), Mercedes-Benz
The German marque wants to emphasise width in the cabin of the new A-Class, with multiple elements working together to provide a particularly landscape orientation to the interior. The dash is split into two wide sections, with the upper half featuring the very latest iteration of Merc’s widescreen cockpit. Entry-level cars will see fitment of two 7.0-inch screens, though a combination of 7.0-inch and 10.25-inch units or a pair of 10.25-inch screens can be optioned on.
The A-Class will debut with three trims, in Style, AMG-Line, and Progressive variants. The ‘Urban’ trim that we’ve seen previously will be dropped altogether, with Progressive taking its place and focusing on comfort and design. The trims are extensively customisable with trim and colour options, and Mercedes are keen to underline that there isn’t a strict walk-up for them.
“Style is the most affordable, and AMG-Line and Progressive are more fancy, but their not directly in a hierarchy. They take different inspirations of design, depending on your appeal.” — Christoph Eberlein, Product Manager (Compact Car Division), Mercedes-Benz
As is normally the case with a new generation, the A-Class will see some improvements in dimensions, with practicality especially enjoying a big improvement. The boot space in the hatch is expected to measure in at a decent 370-litres, putting it within the same range as its closest competitors, with Mercedes having tested the space with various CAD data to ensure total ease of loading and unloading with a variety of cargo, like crates, pushchairs, and golf-bags.
Prices for the new A-Class haven’t yet been revealed, but compact-car division boss Christoph Eberlein suggests that there won’t be any noticeable changes.
“We are going for a premium feel, but compact cars still need to be approachable for everyone. It’s more about design and taste than price.” — Christoph Eberlein, Product Manager (Compact Car Division), Mercedes-Benz
With the 2018 Mercedes-Benz A-Class expected to bow in at next years’ Geneva motor show (that’s in March, by the way), stay tuned to CarShowroom as we bring you more updates as they come.
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