The 2019 A-Class Is How Mercedes Wants To Hook You
The new, affordable "baby Benz" has arrived.
By Andrew Moseman
Andrew Moseman
Five years ago, Mercedes-Benz rolled out the CLA, a play to hook younger buyers and turn them into Mercedes drivers via an entry-level Benz in the $30,000 range. It worked. Mercedes sold a ton of them, and now it's doubling down on the strategy.
Here is the 2019 A-Class. Mercedes debuted a European hatchback version in the spring, but revealed this sedan—the version that will go on sale in America later this year—at an event in Brooklyn last night.
Andrew Moseman
The A-Class will be the smallest and cheapest Mercedes in the U.S. when it goes on sale in late 2018. The brand hasn't announced official pricing, but you can expect it to begin in the low $30,000s. It measures 179.1 inches long, 70.7 inches wide, and 56.9 inches tall, with a 107.4-inch wheelbase. There'll be two options in America: The front-wheel-drive A 220 and the A 220 4MATIC with AWD.
The A-Class will come with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder making 188 hp and 221 lb. ft. of torque. That isn't much these days, but Road & Track reports that Mercedes-Benz's AMG performance division is already at work on a beefed-up version of the A.
Andrew Moseman
Rather than with raw power, Mercedes hopes to hook younger buyers with sleekness and tech. While the A-Class styling may be a touch on the plain side, the car's 0.22 drag coefficient makes it the most aerodynamic car on the market, Mercedes claims. It also comes with the brand's in-car voice-activated AI that lets you shout "Hey Mercedes" to perform various commands.
Andrew Moseman
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