Mercedes-Benz will reveal the new A-Class Concept at both the NY and Shanghai auto shows.
Mercedes-Benz is thinking outside the box…and inside it, as well, with the A-Class Concept it will be introducing at the New York Auto Show later this month – simultaneously launching at the Shanghai Motor Show, as well.
The German maker was among the first to see the potential for a pint-sized luxury car, rolling out the original A-Class in 2002. The early model offered an efficient – and ingenious – use of space, but it never quite delivered the level of luxury or styling normally associated with the brand, leaving many potential buyers to wait – or choose from the growing number of competing offerings.
Indeed, the luxury microcar segment is growing fast, with even Aston Martin entering the fray with the new Cygnet it has developed as part of an unusual joint venture with Toyota based on the Japanese maker’s little iQ model.
So, Mercedes is now weighing in with a prototype that, at least from initial appearances, seems more well-suited to the brand’s overall line-up.
The interior of the new A-Class is clearly influenced by aircraft design.
The basic design is distinctly different from the original A-Class, which sat high so it could fit basic running gear – and potentially a hydrogen or battery driveline – under the load floor. The new A-Class Concept is a low-slung hatchback design that bears some of the signature design cues of models like the new Mercedes CLS. There are direct influences, Mercedes adds, from the well-received F800 Style concept vehicle.
The squared-off nose features a strikingly unusual grille giving the appearance of a nighttime sky, the maker suggests. The daytime running lamps consist of 90 optical fibers surrounded by metal sleeves, the main lamps relying on LEDs.
The very lush design of the new Mercedes-Benz A-Class Concept moves in a decidedly different direction from the pint-sized original.
The door panels are deeply sculpted, two character lines running the length of the body before crossing near the rear wheel wells.
Inside, the maker explains, the dashboard itself has the shape of an aircraft wing, a theme carried throughout the cabin.
“The shape of the air vents in the dashboard is reminiscent of a jet aircraft. The prominent dials in the instrument cluster are in red, inspired by the afterburner of a jet engine. The center console is designed as a modern flight control panel, with the shift lever designed as a “reverse thrust control.”
Under the hood, the new A-Class is outfitted with a new BlueEfficiency 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 210 horsepower. Turbocharged and direct-injected, it is mated to a dual-clutch gearbox.
To underscore that small is not synonymous with cheap, the new A-Class Concept is loaded with high-line features, including a first-in-segment radar-guided collision avoidance system.
“This assistance system,” says the Mercedes release, “gives a visual and acoustic warning to an inattentive driver and prepares Brake Assist for a precise braking response. Braking is initiated as soon as the driver forcefully operates the brake pedal.”
The Mercedes folks will likely save production details for the dual New York and Shanghai previews, but the replacement for the aging A-Class original is likely to hit market within a year. And while a few of the more excessive details, such as the grille, might not carry over, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class Concept is expected to be a good indication of what’s actually coming.