Can a shrunken C-Class cement Mercedes-Benz's lead in the luxury segment?

By Ronan Glon December 23, 2016

2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain — Ronan Glon/Digital Trends

Mercedes-Benz will expand its lineup of compact cars with a sedan variant of the next-generation A-Class, according to a recent report. The yet-unnamed model will fill the narrow gap that separates the CLA and the C-Class.

The first A-Class sedan will be to the C-Class what the CLA is to the CLS. In short, it will be positioned as a smaller, more affordable model aimed at buyers who want a compact Mercedes that is not as stylish as the curvaceous CLA. The model is being developed to fight head-on against the 1 Series Sedan that BMW exclusively builds and sells in China and the Audi A3 Sedan. That means its main markets will be the United States and China, though it will also join the Mercedes family in Europe.

Recommended Videos

Across the pond, entry-level variants of the sedan will receive a gasoline- or diesel-burning four-cylinder engine borrowed from industrial partner Renault and tweaked in-house, according to British magazine Autocar. Upmarket variants will benefit from a Mercedes-designed 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine, but more specific performance specifications have not been published yet.

The A-Class sedan lineup will also include a plug-in hybrid model powered by the aforementioned 2.0 liter, a compact electric motor, and a lithium-ion battery. The model will be capable of driving on electricity alone, which will help it gain access to China’s increasingly crowded urban centers. Alternatively, the AMG-badged, range-topping A45 will satisfy thrill seekers with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-banger tuned to develop up to 400 horsepower.

Mercedes’ next four-door model will ride on the upcoming second generation of its MFA platform. Front-wheel drive — par for the course across the segment — and a six-speed manual transmission will come standard, and buyers will be able to pay extra for a nine-speed automatic transmission, 4Matic all-wheel drive, or both depending on the model they select. American enthusiasts who want a stick might be out of luck, however, because the six-speed is unlikely to make the trip across the pond.

The Mercedes-Benz A-Class Sedan will make its official debut either late in 2017 or in early 2018 and it will arrive in showrooms before the end of 2018. Expect a price tag in the vicinity of $30,000.

Topics

Contributor

Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…

Cars

Mercedes EV charging hubs are coming to North America by the end of the decade

What a future Mercedes-Benz EV charging hub might look like.

You can't have more electric cars without more charging stations, so Mercedes-Benz is building a global charging network covering North America, China, Europe, and other major markets to support its goal of going all-electric by the end of the decade where market conditions allow.

Announced at CES 2023, the network should be in place by the end of the decade in line with Mercedes' electrification goal. It's a bold move by the automaker, which has mostly relied on third-party charging networks until now.

Cars

5 stunning electric SUVs that prove you don’t need to spend $100K for luxury

Front three quarter view of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV.

There’s no denying it — the Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ SUV is an incredible car. Sure, the exterior design isn’t for me, and the bulbous nose, while not as bad as on the standard EQS, proves that many carmakers still have no idea what to do with a grille-less design. But sit inside the car and you’re greeted with stunning finishes, beautiful build quality, modern tech, and a super-comfortable ride.

I’ve spent a week testing the EQS 450+ SUV and loved almost everything about it. It has plenty of oomph when you hit the accelerator, and while the suspension is a little mushy, it feels like you’re driving a cloud.

Cars

2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV preview: The EV lineup grows again

Front three quarter view of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV.

As Mercedes-Benz has steadily expanded its EQ range of electric cars, the lineup has become a bit like the late stages of a Tetris game. It’s mostly complete, but with a few gaps still left. And the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV is the piece that perfectly fits one of them.
Mercedes recently launched two other electric SUVs at opposite ends of the price spectrum. The EQS SUV is positioned as the lineup’s flagship, while the EQB is the entry-level model. The EQE SUV slots between those two in size and, presumably, price. The latter hasn’t been confirmed yet, and likely won’t be until the EQE SUV’s planned March 2023 on-sale date.

Design
As the name says, the EQE SUV is a utility-vehicle version of the EQE sedan, which will likely beat it to showrooms by a few months. Mercedes did the same thing with the EQS, which is available in both SUV and sedan body styles.
With its tall, upright profile, the EQE SUV definitely looks like a proper SUV compared to the low-slung EQE sedan. Park it next to an EQS SUV, though, and you’ll have to get out a measuring tape to spot the differences.
The EQE SUV is 0.6 inch narrower and 1.2 inches lower than the EQS SUV, but the most significant difference is in length. The EQE SUV is 10.3 inches shorter than the EQS SUV, with a 2.1-inch shorter wheelbase. And while the EQS SUV has three-row seating, the EQE SUV has two rows. Based on our experience with the EQS SUV’s third row, that’s not a big loss.
The interior design theme carries over from other Mercedes EQ models, with an expansive sloping dashboard designed to accommodate many screens, and multicolor ambient lighting that should look pretty dramatic at night. However, leatherette upholstery is standard, rather than real leather, which Mercedes is now spinning as a vegan option.