The brand new Mercedes A-Class has already been spied before, but you have not seen the new compact Benz so clearly until now. FIRST-EVER PICTURES of the new compact Mercedes in production guise.
For the first time, an A-Class prototype has replaced its camouflage costume for a bright orange paint work which reveals the final, production-spec design cues in all their glory. It is clear that Mercedes-Benz wants to give the A-Class a sharper character. Similar to the next CLS, the headlights are narrow and dive further down the nose than we are used to. The grille – now in Panamericana style – is also placed lower at the front, something that gives the car a more aggressive appearance. At the back, the smaller light units with LED tech also sport a new, more elongated shape.
In addition, Mercedes-Benz is working on the first sedan spin-off of the smallest Benz. The new A-Class sedan also reveals its camouflage free rear for the first time! Like its hatchback and CLA brother, the A-Class sedan gets a sleek and sporty design. With the Concept A Sedan Mercedes already gave a preview of Mercedes’s new design language.
The new Mercedes-Benz compact models are built on a new platform, the MFA II, in fact a strong make-over of the current MFA architecture. The move will help to reduce the vehicle weight by 50 kilograms and make the body stiffer. The wheelbase of the new Mercedes A-Class grows by about 2 centimeters, which should benefit the passengers. The MFA II will provide the basis for the front-wheel drive future A-Class, CLA Class (and Shooting Brake), the new B-Class and the GLA Class. There are more models that will use it, but whether it will be a compact crossover (GLB) or another new A-Class derivative is not yet clear.
A new generation of engines is also being launched. The new petrol M254 engines will have maximum 2 liters of displacement, direct injection and supercharging. In addition to the A 250 and the AMG 45 version (more than 400 hp), a new sporty version is also to be introduced for the A-Class. Power output: around 280 hp. An E-Turbo will later be added to the A-Class range. The A-Class is also upgraded in terms of hybrid technology. The purely electric range should go up to 100 km.
The AMG department obviously works on a new A-Class sport version. The AMG version of the A-Class will have more than 408 hp, which he will fire from the new two-liter. The four-cylinder with belt-driven starter-generator and 48-volt electrical system is coupled to all four wheels thanks to the new nine-speed automatic transmission. It replaces the current seven-speed automatic transmission and can also handle more torque.
Mercedes will launch the new generation of the A-Class (W177) at the beginning of 2018. The new A-Class does not get an easy life. Even if it gets renewed first, the new model will subsequently face the arrival of a new BMW 1 Series and Audi A3, but also a brand new Volvo V40.
Source: Autoweek.nl
