The New Mercedes A-Class should be at dealers in Europe any day now. In the U.S., it is expected to go on sale in the United States in 2014. Not that many people are dying to see an overpriced hatchback. A sedan probably would sell better. One was spotted halfway between Germany and America, in Iceland.
Bernhard Kohlmeier did what used to be en vogue with hippies in the 70’s: He flew Iceland Air from Frankfurt to New York, with a stopover in Iceland. From his room at Northern Light Inn near the Blue Lagoon at Grindavik, he observed Daimler personnel testing a sedan version of the A-Class.
Officially, the car will be called CLA, writes Der Spiegel. At the Beijing Motor Show in April, Daimler showed the Concept Style Coupe, the car caught by the Iceland traveler is closer to reality.
The magazine believes that the CLA will be unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show. The fog is steam from the geothermal power plant in Grindavik. The sedan should sell quite well in the U.S. and China, where hatchbacks have a very limited market.
While on Iceland’s public roads, the car was wrapped into this chastity foil.
Back at the hotel, they took it all off.
Lease fodder for those who want the “prestige” of driving a Mercedes.
I thought they were all lease fodder at this point…
Think, 4-door BMW 1-series and you’ve just about got it. It would be fun to see them try to stuff the corporate AMG “6.3 liter” V8 into this… (or whatever smaller, turbo V8 AMG is using now)
I wish. The platform under the A-Class is fwd.
Apparently their will be a “CLA 45 AMG” with a 2.0T motor with 330hp and “over 295ft/lbs.” of torque.
Finally, Mercedes Benz has it’s own ELANTRA!
Looks like a modern Mercedes, so they have that going for them.
But those four-door coupe proportions on a car this small has to mean the back seat has no headroom at all for anyone over 12 years of age.
It’s hard to judge its actual size. In that pic where the security guard is standing next to it, if he’s in the foreground, then it seems sized like a C class. If he’s in the background… whoa it must be tiny.
I do like the styling though.
Way too much “flame surfacing” for such a small car.
I like that face. I’ll take mine with a hatch, thank you.
“Not that many people are dying to see an overpriced hatchback”
Oh, I don’t know…there were lots of takers for the chintzy C230 Kompressor/CLC.
But yeah, this should fare well against the upcoming Audi A3 sedan and rumored BMW 1-Series sedan.
In 3rd world countries this is the car for the rich man’s mistress.
In third world countries, rich men’s mistresses have big fat Landcruisers drivem by minimum wage chauffeurs. BMW 1s, Audi A1s and A-classes are driven by rich men’s wives as a third car.
Not too many wanting to see another overpriced Mercedes, period.
If you compare to cars like Audi A3, BMW 1, or even VW Golf, the new A-class is not the most expensive at cost/km!
So why call this car overpriced? Prices are dictated by the market. Ask too much and no one is buying. Everyone is trying to maximize their profits.
And another thing: already tried one?
In somewhat related news, yesterday I passed a large car import port, there where about 10 or 20 cls shooting brakes parked there.
The 190 lives!
Shrunk down, the car looks like it’s all hood and trunk,cabin looks small.