OFFICIAL Official: 2013 Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Nope...the 3 door will look like this in my opinion

It's too bubbly, especially in standard trim. The design appears to be a bit shapeless like a cheap merino wool that has lost its shape after 3 washes.

i like the interior very much...just imagine this poor interior in the old A-class for example.. Mercedes made a great job with this new A in every detail and you don't like it and would you like another "boxy" compact instead of it? Don't get it...

looks better in gray. If you notice there is zero chrome trim. The funky accent line just does't jive. I think it would look good with just the one line fading out into the rear quarter. The center screen just looks like an afterthought. I know it is meant to look like an I-pad. But you know what? An I pad with the car would make more sense. You can buy an I-pad for $600 and it would be more advanced than the tech Mercedes is bringing to market. Audi has already tied into Google for their Nav. Mercedes will make you subscribe to Mbrace to access that feature, and its not even fully to market yet.

Is it better than the pervious A? Sure, but that aint saying much. Young people want tech, and right now Ford offers more tech at a much lower price. Mercedes is still charging $1k for keyless Go as if it is cutting edge.

Yes but i really thank Gorden to make such good steps in Mercedes Design and Mercedes as all to be more progressive, "young" etc.. I'd really hate the Mercedes cars before Gorden started to be a head of design..then sth happened, boom and
1.even the E-class suited me..
2.SLS is a piece of art,
3."he" made a good looking and modern car from a veery boring previous A and B, the C is more ellegant and "noisy" too, as i expect
4.the S will have a great "not futuristic and breathtaking" but very nice design
5. Really consider very strong the new CLA as a "will buy it" car for me

and it's just the begining of Mercedes thanks to new conception of design etc...

Yes yes yes AUDI had the google maps before etc but consider it everything not by a race but by a big target and brand values change..from very old styling and conservative to attractive, dynamic and modern
And some values of this brand does not change like great engines, prestige etc
Thats why I like Mercedes a lot now

Notice how the doors handles still drop down in a wedge pattern, while the line under them goes the opposite direction, and then the line under that goes in an almost direct vertical pattern.

Pathetically amateur. It's like the designers didn't even try for cohesion. I never liked art that disguises blatant messiness by way of calling it "art", it reminds me of those paintings where "Artists" simply slather paint at a picture in no uniformity at all.

Actually all those cars you listed, with the exception of the A I think, were Peter Pfeiffer's cars. Wagener apparently has expressed discontent for the simplicity, classic homage and purity of the SLS's design, which is enough for me to not trust him as a captain right there. Especially considering the messiness all over the A and probably upcoming S.

As i heared Gorden was the head designer of SLS, A and even the old one SLR-McLaren...

Pfeiffer was definitely head designer for both. Insider's here even said that Wagener and the current team have a "quiet discontent for the SLS design".

The SLS concept and design was definitely frozen far before Pfeiffer retired.

ohh so sorry for that...but feel that the new facelifted E-class will be not good... For me it MUST have this "binocular" headlights and in spied photos..

You're embellishing KA. The report was that some people in MB design (Wagener not specifically mentioned) felt the SLS was a missed opportunity. There was nothing about being too simplistic or classic in the report.

Wagener has expressed quietly that he is not entirely happy with the SL design, and the car's design was frozen a long time ago and the put on ice for a further 2 years to sort out manufacturing issues. They were thus forced to design the SLK to keep in line with the SL.

It really is very difficult to tell who is responsible for all the extra detailing causing some people so much distress. I have my doubts it is Wagener because he has been quoted as openly stating MB will move toward a more proportion driven design philosophy. Furthermore many of the cars we see now were frozen during Pfeiffers time.

I think the A-class looks good for what it is in these pictures. It's going to look fluid on the roads compared to the frumpy 1-series. If you want understated class to the point of being slightly boring, look towards the A3.

Tennmb, Mercedes has recently announced a collaboration with Google, so I suspect in the not too distant future (12-24 months) they'll be the most google interfaced manufacturer.

That would be something, if Wagener isn't responsible for the incoherency and superfluous lines dashed around the cars. To me, it seems as if he is, since as he took over, each newer iteration gets more and more fussy.

I'm not sure what to take from his saying about future "proportionally driven" designs, as firstly it echo's BMW's "Post-Bangle" idiom word for word, and secondly, M-B proportions have always been perfect, and right now we are simply seeing more and more heavy handed over-trying on the cars profiles. The SL ironically is the one car M-B has released that DOESN'T have stupid lines all over it, and Wagener doesn't like it.... also, the SLS comments (or lack thereof), to me is a "red flag" as to his direction perhaps being the culprit here.

It goes without saying though, that the new A-Class, regardless of whatever it has or doesn't have, is a huge improvement over the previous ones. However, that isn't saying much as the first two A's, namely the first, are probably the uglies cars I've ever seen.

some stats



W168 A-Class produced from 1997 to 2004 -- more than 1.1 million built
W169 A-Class produced from 2005 to 2012 -- more than 1 million built
W176 A-Class starts production soon -- first deliveries this fall

and it will be the best i think

W176 A-class produced from 2012 to 2019 -- more than 900,000 built

Going by this rate, nobody will buy an A class in the 22nd century

Mark Fetherston the exterior designer of Mercedes-Benz and he answered questions about the new A-Class.

Jan Kaul the interior desinger of the A-Class.

Gerd Sailer the product manager of the new A-class.

and here are the designers.


Daimler

You can see my posts from the desingers of the new A-Class? I can't see on my computer!

Here's the same pic on a different server for you.


Mercedes-Benz W169 design team -- picture credit: Daimler

Aha thanks