The family of compact cars from Mercedes-Benz continues to grow: the A-Class Saloon will be launched at the end of 2018. The four-door saloon car has a wheelbase of 2729 millimetres and the proportions of a dynamic and compact saloon car with short overhangs at the front and rear. It is at the top of its segment with regard to rear headroom. In addition, the saloon model has the familiar A-Class virtues. These include modern, efficient engines, the high level of safety thanks to state-of-the-art driving assistance systems with S-Class functions, and the intuitive and intelligent MBUX – Mercedes-Benz User Experience infotainment system. With a Cd value of 0.22 and a frontal area of 2.19 m², the new A-Class Saloon has the lowest aerodynamic drag of all production vehicles worldwide and thereby defends the world record of the CLA Coupé. Exact UK pricing and specification will be confirmed towards the end of the year, with first cars arriving in spring 2019.
The new A-Class Saloon will be built in Aguascalientes, Mexico, and Rastatt, Germany, and was developed in Sindelfingen, Germany. The new model will be presented to the general public for the first time at the Paris Motor Show (4 to 14 October 2018). Mercedes-Benz already presented the A-Class L Saloon at this year’s Auto China in Beijing in April. This saloon model was developed exclusively as a long-wheelbase version for the Chinese market and is also produced there exclusively.
“Following the successful start of the A-Class, things at Mercedes-Benz are happening in quick succession with regard to the new family of compacts. In response to the wish of many customers, we now offer the A-Class for the fist time also as a saloon carâ€, says Britta Seeger, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Marketing and Sales. “Anyone looking for a compact, sporty saloon with a separate boot now has a new attractive alternative. It will enable us to win new customers for Mercedes-Benzâ€.
The new generation of compacts has made a key contribution to the rejuvenation and image change of the Mercedes-Benz brand. The launch of the four-door CLA Coupé in the USA in 2013 was the first time a compact car from Mercedes-Benz was sold in the American market. In 2017, nearly one in two buyers of a compact car from Mercedes-Benz in the USA had previously driven a competitor vehicle, and more than 50 percent of CLA customers were new at Mercedes (first-time buyers and conquests).
The A-Class established today’s compact car segment of Mercedes-Benz in 1997 and since then more than six million models have been delivered worldwide. The A-Class Saloon as the seventh model further expands the range of compact cars from Mercedes-Benz. A logical addition, because with the C, E and S-Class, Mercedes-Benz has more premium saloon competence than most other manufacturers.
The key dimensions of the new A-Class Saloon:
Length/width/height: 4549/1796/1446 mm
Wheelbase: 2729 mm
Boot capacity: 420 litres
Headroom front/rear: 1024/944 mm
Elbow room front/rear1457/1446 mm
Shoulder room front/rear1400/1372 mm
Effective legroom front/rear: 1062/861 mm
The A-Class Saloon offers great utility. That includes above-average shoulder, elbow and headroom plus the easy access to the rear. It is at the top of its segment with regard to rear headroom (944 mm). The boot holds 420 litres and was designed for practical usability. The boot opening is very large with a width of 950 mm and a diagonal of 462 mm between lock and lower edge of the rear window. This allows comfortable loading and unloading of larger luggage items.
