Mr. Mercedes
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Mercedes-Benz Concept A Revealed for Shanghai
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Mr. Mercedes
Premium
Yeah it is! I have very high hopes for this car now.
Merc1
Premium
Car and Driver - Mercedes-Benz A-class Concept - Auto Shows
It may be a front-wheel-drive compact underneath, but the A-class concept is liquid lust.
With automakers from St. Petersburg to Seoul presenting show cars heralded as the future of wheeled urban logistics, the Mercedes-Benz A-class concept taking the stand at this year’s New York auto show is a breath of fresh air. (It also will be simultaneously unveiled at the Shanghai auto show.) There are no electric motors spinning the rubber here—a conventional engine and transmission motivate the curvaceous car. It previews Benz’s upcoming competitor for the Audi A3, Volkswagen Golf, and BMW 1-series.
Auto-Show Styling—Mostly
Benz’s first preview of its next-gen small cars came via the F800 Style concept, and this A-class concept moves the design language one step closer to reality. Still, despite this car’s connection to an actual future product, don’t expect everything from the concept on the stand in New York to be duplicated in production.
Among the A-class’s pure auto-show fantasies: the LED-lit turn signals delicately integrated into the sliver of a mount for the side-view mirrors and the “star-filled sky” pattern on the grill and lower air dam. The same can be said for the wheels—very cool, but very much not happening.
Other aspects of the concept’s design are no less bold—but more realistic. The prominent strake starting behind the front wheel and sweeping up to the top of the rear fender is abrupt; it could be toned down for the real deal, and the same goes for the AMG-esque hood strakes. The elegant side-window profile recalls those on several Mercedes coupes, and the ginormous headlights, which here are illuminated by LEDs and integrate fiber-optic daytime running lights, are straight outta the CLS.
Under the Voluptuous Metal
Both the current, second-gen A-class and its predecessor were front-wheel drive, and the next A will be no different. The concept packs a transversely mounted 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine under the hood—it’s turbocharged and direct-injected, and Mercedes says it’s good for 210 hp. The engine is from the automaker’s newest family of four-bangers. It’s hooked to a new dual-clutch transmission, and though the company is mum on its number of gears or provenance, we’d guess that it has at least seven cogs.
Unlike previous A-classes, however, this model and its spin-offs—more on those below—will sit much closer to the ground. The first two A-class generations had a “sandwich” floor meant to accommodate the batteries for an electric-drive system. It never happened in much volume—some 500 A-class E-cells were leased—but the layout meant that even the conventionally powered cars looked like mini MPVs. As the new A-class concept demonstrates, the dorky upright look will be reserved for the B-class, while the A is more reminiscent of Volkswagen’s racy Euro-market Scirocco.
No Antimatter Steering Either
By concept-car standards, the A-class’s interior is fairly conventional. The dashboard is said to be inspired by an airplane wing, and is covered in fabric rather than plastic or wood. The dash’s three glowing knobs, high-mounted multimedia display, and aircraft-themed switches and vents are surprisingly reminiscent of the interior in Audi’s recently unveiled A3 sedan concept. The timing is such that there’s no way Mercedes knocked off the A3—and there’s German pride beyond that—but it’s got to be an unhappy coincidence for Stuttgart nonetheless.
The integrated display centralizes all of the car’s various secondary controls into one place, and arranges them like smartphone apps. Mercedes also touts the A-class concept’s radar-based collision warning and Adaptive Brake Assist, the former warning drivers of an impending crash with audio and visual alarms, and the latter engaging the full force of the brakes if it detects the driver isn’t applying enough pedal pressure to avoid or mitigate an expected collision.
Sedans, Crossovers, and AMGs!
As we already know, the next-gen A-class platform will underpin a hatch like this, a four-door sedan that would mimic the styling of the CLS, and a baby crossover (perhaps called the GLC, a name for which Mercedes recently filed a U.S. trademark application). We also know that AMG’s chief has hinted several times that he and his team would be interested in hot-rodding the next A-class, and if so, a 300-plus-hp variant could be squaring off against an Audi S3 in a 2014 issue of Car and Driver.
Now for the bad news. Despite Mercedes-Benz showing the A-class concept at the New York auto show, our sources tell us that it’s unlikely the vehicle will end up being sold on these shores. There’s no doubt that Mercedes is looking at the feasibility of launching an A-class or a member of its family here, and gas prices will weigh into the decision, but the car is far away from a green light. It’s possible, however, that we’ll get the B-class.
And so for us, despite its realistic powertrain and beautiful, doable styling, the A-class concept may as well be nothing more than a show-car fantasy after all.
Mercedes-Benz A-class Concept
M
It may be a front-wheel-drive compact underneath, but the A-class concept is liquid lust.
With automakers from St. Petersburg to Seoul presenting show cars heralded as the future of wheeled urban logistics, the Mercedes-Benz A-class concept taking the stand at this year’s New York auto show is a breath of fresh air. (It also will be simultaneously unveiled at the Shanghai auto show.) There are no electric motors spinning the rubber here—a conventional engine and transmission motivate the curvaceous car. It previews Benz’s upcoming competitor for the Audi A3, Volkswagen Golf, and BMW 1-series.
Auto-Show Styling—Mostly
Benz’s first preview of its next-gen small cars came via the F800 Style concept, and this A-class concept moves the design language one step closer to reality. Still, despite this car’s connection to an actual future product, don’t expect everything from the concept on the stand in New York to be duplicated in production.
Among the A-class’s pure auto-show fantasies: the LED-lit turn signals delicately integrated into the sliver of a mount for the side-view mirrors and the “star-filled sky” pattern on the grill and lower air dam. The same can be said for the wheels—very cool, but very much not happening.
Other aspects of the concept’s design are no less bold—but more realistic. The prominent strake starting behind the front wheel and sweeping up to the top of the rear fender is abrupt; it could be toned down for the real deal, and the same goes for the AMG-esque hood strakes. The elegant side-window profile recalls those on several Mercedes coupes, and the ginormous headlights, which here are illuminated by LEDs and integrate fiber-optic daytime running lights, are straight outta the CLS.
Under the Voluptuous Metal
Both the current, second-gen A-class and its predecessor were front-wheel drive, and the next A will be no different. The concept packs a transversely mounted 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine under the hood—it’s turbocharged and direct-injected, and Mercedes says it’s good for 210 hp. The engine is from the automaker’s newest family of four-bangers. It’s hooked to a new dual-clutch transmission, and though the company is mum on its number of gears or provenance, we’d guess that it has at least seven cogs.
Unlike previous A-classes, however, this model and its spin-offs—more on those below—will sit much closer to the ground. The first two A-class generations had a “sandwich” floor meant to accommodate the batteries for an electric-drive system. It never happened in much volume—some 500 A-class E-cells were leased—but the layout meant that even the conventionally powered cars looked like mini MPVs. As the new A-class concept demonstrates, the dorky upright look will be reserved for the B-class, while the A is more reminiscent of Volkswagen’s racy Euro-market Scirocco.
No Antimatter Steering Either
By concept-car standards, the A-class’s interior is fairly conventional. The dashboard is said to be inspired by an airplane wing, and is covered in fabric rather than plastic or wood. The dash’s three glowing knobs, high-mounted multimedia display, and aircraft-themed switches and vents are surprisingly reminiscent of the interior in Audi’s recently unveiled A3 sedan concept. The timing is such that there’s no way Mercedes knocked off the A3—and there’s German pride beyond that—but it’s got to be an unhappy coincidence for Stuttgart nonetheless.
The integrated display centralizes all of the car’s various secondary controls into one place, and arranges them like smartphone apps. Mercedes also touts the A-class concept’s radar-based collision warning and Adaptive Brake Assist, the former warning drivers of an impending crash with audio and visual alarms, and the latter engaging the full force of the brakes if it detects the driver isn’t applying enough pedal pressure to avoid or mitigate an expected collision.
Sedans, Crossovers, and AMGs!
As we already know, the next-gen A-class platform will underpin a hatch like this, a four-door sedan that would mimic the styling of the CLS, and a baby crossover (perhaps called the GLC, a name for which Mercedes recently filed a U.S. trademark application). We also know that AMG’s chief has hinted several times that he and his team would be interested in hot-rodding the next A-class, and if so, a 300-plus-hp variant could be squaring off against an Audi S3 in a 2014 issue of Car and Driver.
Now for the bad news. Despite Mercedes-Benz showing the A-class concept at the New York auto show, our sources tell us that it’s unlikely the vehicle will end up being sold on these shores. There’s no doubt that Mercedes is looking at the feasibility of launching an A-class or a member of its family here, and gas prices will weigh into the decision, but the car is far away from a green light. It’s possible, however, that we’ll get the B-class.
And so for us, despite its realistic powertrain and beautiful, doable styling, the A-class concept may as well be nothing more than a show-car fantasy after all.
Mercedes-Benz A-class Concept
M
Mr. Mercedes
Premium
The grill mesh treatment is amazing. Looks 'cosmic'. Makes sense really becuase the star sits in the middle. 
hoffmeister_fan
Kraftwagen König
The rear reminds me of this:
DeDe, it's funny that you mentioned that. While I like the design, is it distinctly Mercedes-Benz? Save for the grille, I can't honestly say that it is. There are a lot elements that are reminiscient of other cars in this class. The rear pillar, as I mentioned before, are evocative of the CT200. The headlights remind of a bit of Audis. The rearlights also have a bit of VW/Audi quality to them with a bit of previous-gen Alfa Romeo. The side is reminds me of the current-gen Mazda3, what with the Nagare-like lines.
By no means is this a damning criticism. Truth of the matter, you can't really design a car in this class with slab-sided imposing aesthetics of the S-class or the E-class. In this class, you need something adventurous and something that gives it that personal touch, like how the CLS influenced this concept. And of course, this is a concept, so a lot of the design elements will undoubtedly be toned down. Also, I do like the what the production interior may potentially look like.
fortuner
Autotechnik Ace
WOW absoloutelt brillinat concept...
Must firstly say thanks to SKYSONY who predicted this car to be previed with info from his source.
Secondly i love this concept but guys dont get too excited we know merc will tone it down a lot...I know the interior might well be simalr to what we seen in the other thread and what merc1 posted in page 1 which will be great for the A..
i hope the exterior will be very simalar to the concept its great...
Must firstly say thanks to SKYSONY who predicted this car to be previed with info from his source.
Secondly i love this concept but guys dont get too excited we know merc will tone it down a lot...I know the interior might well be simalr to what we seen in the other thread and what merc1 posted in page 1 which will be great for the A..
i hope the exterior will be very simalar to the concept its great...
bombardier01
Diesel Dynamiker
Yup, you're right and i think (IMO) the production version will look even better than the new 1 series..
I'll reserve judgement since this is heavily Concept-'d out, and the pics have that very "un-realistic" tone to them. It reminds me of the F800, and the Shooting Brake Concept they used as a build up to the E-Class.
I think those side lines will look terrible applied to the production car (just a bad look and idea through and through IMO, they make no sense and are incredibly fussy), and I think that the front looks great in these pics.
Something tells me that the W222's interior will be from a similar family as the interior in this Concept.
I think those side lines will look terrible applied to the production car (just a bad look and idea through and through IMO, they make no sense and are incredibly fussy), and I think that the front looks great in these pics.
Something tells me that the W222's interior will be from a similar family as the interior in this Concept.
Shining Star
Chicane Challenger
Official Press Release
World premiere at the New York Auto Show
Mercedes Concept A-Class: the beginning of a new compact generation
MONTVALE, NJ – The Mercedes-Benz Concept A-Class will make its debut at both the 2011 New York and Shanghai Auto Shows later this month. Looking as though it might have come from another planet, the Concept A-Class features an expressive and athletic design. Technical highlights include a new turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine, a dual clutch transmission and a radar-based collision warning system with adaptive Brake Assist.
The aggressive appearance of the Concept A-Class, with its long hood, low silhouette and slim side windows, is given depth by the interplay between lines and surfaces. Inspiration was drawn from the wind and the waves, as well as aviation engineering.
The Concept A-Class previews a new compact class era at Mercedes-Benz. This front-wheel drive model is powered by a four-cylinder gasoline engine from the new M270 series. It was designed for transverse installation and thanks to direct injection and turbocharging, offers high performance together with minimal emissions and fuel consumption. The Concept A-Class is equipped with the twoliter variant of the new engine, developing 210 hp. This BlueEFFICIENCY engine is mated to the new Mercedes-Benz dual clutch transmission.
As a world first in the compact class, the concept car features a radar-based collision warning system with adaptive Brake Assist, which lowers the risk of rearend collisions. This assistance system 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 exterior design of the Concept A-Class features the combination of defined edges and free interplay with the body surfaces that Mercedes-Benz first showed in the F800 Style. The side view is structured with three prominent lines: the front structural edge above the front fender forms a dropping line, while the prominent shoulder muscle above the rear axle underlines the car's coupe-like character. A further line extends upwards from the rear wheel arch in a sweeping curve.
The front end of the Concept A-Class immediately catches the eye with the Mercedes-Benz star logo surrounded by what looks like a star-filled sky. Where there are usually openings or louvers, the radiator grille consists of numerous metallic silver hexagons on black stems. This theme is reflected in the design of the wheels.
The headlights of the Concept A-Class continue this design element with innovative full-LED high-performance headlamps repeating the starry sky motif with numerous light points. The daytime running lamps consist of 90 optical fibers with aluminum sleeves which are arranged in a wing-shape within the headlamp.
In the interior, the eye is immediately drawn to the dashboard which has the shape of an aircraft wing and a translucent, stretchable fabric lining. This enables the bionic, cellular structure of the dashboard to remain visible.
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".
A smartphone is fully integrated into the Concept A-Class. All functions are shown in the display as applications, and can be operated using the rotary/push control. The visual presentation of the display screen elements is unique, with a deep, three-dimensional appearance created by laser-like magenta-colored lines.
Shining Star
Chicane Challenger
Edit: And some more photos here:
http://www.autobild.de/artikel/mercedes-concept-a-vorstellung-1600457.html
EnI
Piston Pioneer
That "Free Form" looks very much like "Flame Surfacing".
Otherwise ... the car looks fresh & dynamic. Sporty. Elegant? Not at all. Not very Benzish. But that was the goal, I guess.
I wonder how much the production car will be toned down. But we get the general idea ...
I've got a feeling this time around 1er will be the most conservative looking design among the German trio (A, 1er, A3).
Otherwise ... the car looks fresh & dynamic. Sporty. Elegant? Not at all. Not very Benzish. But that was the goal, I guess.
I wonder how much the production car will be toned down. But we get the general idea ...
I've got a feeling this time around 1er will be the most conservative looking design among the German trio (A, 1er, A3).
SKY
Kraftwagen König
For God´s shake, I can´t remember the last time I saw such a nice looking car. This has the charm other cars of the segment lack of. The front end is pure art, the side profile looks fantastic, and the rear is really wonderful, probably the best rear end on an MB in the recent years.
90% mi very first car in a year and a half. Specially after having see the new 1er.
90% mi very first car in a year and a half. Specially after having see the new 1er.
fortuner
Autotechnik Ace
Where have you seen the 1er...you knew about this A concept before anyone else on here great job...hey does your source twll you when the A will be invield and howmuch it will be toned down..
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