A look at the Mercedes A-Class Sedan concept, one more link in the chain to win young customers
51 comments TODAY WE TALK ABOUTJosep Camos@josepcamos
Taking advantage of the Shanghai Motor Show, which is being held this week in China, the Mercedes A-Class Sedan concept car has been presented to the entire world. This variant of three bodies represents a step forward in the consolidation of the compact range pursued by Daimler, and to which it is devoting its efforts after the deployment of the range in the SUV category.
The compact club will thus have a new member, who will join the Class A and Class B, CLA, CLA Shooting Brake and GLA. To differentiate itself from the Mercedes CLA, the rear drop of the new Mercedes A-Class Sedan, at least in its concept car, is more like a fastback than the model that was presented in 2013.
The Concept A Sedan has the proportions of a dynamic sedan, compact and similar in shape to a coupé. It is, however, a four-door with short overhangs that responds to the hot and cool concept of Mercedes-Benz.
Length |
Width | Height |
|---|---|---|
4,570mm | 1,870mm | 1,462mm |
As features of the showcar, in addition to the flush handles, we have the wheels enhanced with 20-inch wheels that follow the aero wheel structure, the incorporation of the Pan-American grille that we saw on the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 4MATIC+, and the grille structure used in headlights, which has a special UV varnish coating and is illuminated by ultraviolet light, causing the light to flicker as the vehicle passes.
Manufacture more compact to retain customers as soon as possible
The future A-Class Sedan will use the MFA platform, common to small front-wheel drive models.The reason for this new model comes from the need to position Daimler as a brand that seeks a much broader public, without giving up the classic values of Mercedes-Benz, with all the load of design, equipment and safety options that this entails. Or, as Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, puts it in the role of salesman, "diversity, driving pleasure, innovation and our modern design canon."
According to Mercedes-Benz, the share of A-Class customer acquisition reaches 70% in Western Europe.The truth is that the current compact range of Mercedes-Benz has contributed to the rejuvenation of the brand. The average age of A-Class drivers has dropped by more than 13 years compared to the predecessor series, according to data from Daimler AG, with one in two owners of current Mercedes-Benz compacts in Western Europe coming from to have a car from the competition.
This is not a minor detail. One of the values that Mercedes-Benz sells the most has to do with brand loyalty. The earlier loyalty starts, the more market share you gain. If they can get their typical customer to move from the compact range to higher volumes, the manufacturer will have achieved a lot. Will he get it? Time will tell.
The Daimler AG plant in Rastatt (Baden-Württemberg, Germany) leads the global production of Mercedes-Benz Cars in terms of compact cars. From there, manufacturing is controlled at the plant in Kecskemét (Hungary), Beijing Benz Automotive Co. (BBAC) in China and Valmet Automotive in Uusikaupunki (Finland). Since 2011, Mercedes-Benz has delivered more than two million units of the current compact passenger car ranges.
See complete gallery » Mercedes-Benz A-Class Sedan Concept (22 photos)
Share A look at the Mercedes A-Class Sedan concept, one more link in the chain to win young customers