Mercedes confirms the next generation of A-Class

The hatch that Mercedes said it was killing off in March is continuing in production and will be reprised in 2028. The fifth-generation A-Class will utilise the MMA platform that underpins the CLA and new GLA.

Mercedes-Benz says its new entry-level hatchback will ‘indirectly replace’ the A-Class three years hence.

But the move is a significant about-face for the German. It had said earlier in the year it would drop the A-Class to concentrate on more expensive offerings with greater profit margins. Perhaps the global economic slowdown has had an impact on those expansive plans. Or maybe it was pressure from the global dealer network. They reported that there was significant ongoing demand for the hatch. The clamour resulted in an extension of A-Class production through to 2028 when its replacement is due.

The upcoming five-door model will be the fifth bodystyle based on the new MMA platform. It will be sold with both combustion and electric drivetrains. And it will once again target Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series. It will also vie with the next-generation Golf.

​What it will look like precisely is unclear at this point. However, Mercedes staff told Autocar UK that it will retain the hatchback silhouette. And it will have similar track widths and wheelbase to the upcoming GLA crossover (below). The latter is due out late next year. 

Evidently it was the MMA platform that saved the A-Class because it is capable of accommodating both ICE and EV drivetrains. 

The new hatchback will go head to head with the upcoming Volkswagen ID Golf. And it signals a retreat from the luxury-oriented model strategy that CEO Ola Källenius has espoused in recent years. What fostered the rethink was the recent half-yearly result. It revealed a six per cent drop in global sales for the brand, and a 19 per cent decline in EV sales.

The hatchback resurrection is an acknowledgement that in these testing times drivetrain flexibility and volume are more crucial than pure profit margin.