Mercedes A-Class 2018: everything we know so far

An all-new version of the Mercedes A-Class hatchback is due to arrive this summer. The new car will be packed with technology on the inside and will also have an updated range of turbocharged engines.

The hatchback has been “thoroughly re-engineered” since its predecessor first hit the market seven years ago, according to Autocar. Mercedes hopes these innovations will put the A-Class at the top of Europe’s most competitive sector – the hatchback market. 

The new car is expected to make its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show on 8 March. Until then, here’s everything we know so far about the hi-tech hatch:

Price and release

There’s no official word from Mercedes on pricing, but WhatCar? estimates the new hatchback will cost a little more than the current car’s £20,715 price tag. 

The A-Class is expected to arrive in “mid 2018”, the website says. Mercedes is likely to confirm the car’s launch date at the Geneva Motor Show.

Design

The German car company has yet to unveil the new A-Class’s exterior design, but a video posted on its YouTube channel shows the lightly-camouflaged hatchback undergoing winter testing.

The hatchback appears to incorporate the head and tail light design of the Mercedes Concept A Saloon that appeared at last year’s Shanghai Motor Show. 

The A-Class also has the concept car’s curvy side-profile and glass roof, but has swapped the prototype’s wing mirrors for a larger alternative. 

Other design details are covered by a camouflage wrap in the video, but potential buyers can expect the A-Class to sport the larger new grille that features on most of ithe company’s recent models, including the AMG GT and new S-Class.

Interior and technology

While the German car giant has kept the design of its car under wraps, images of the A-Class’s interior have been released ahead of the hatchback’s March reveal.  

Auto Express reports that the A-Class will come with a pair of seven-inch displays as standard. One will be located behind the steering wheel and the other above the centre console. These can be upgraded to ten-inch screens for an extra fee.

The centre display can be controlled using touch and swipe inputs, the magazine says, allowing drivers to access the car’s sat nav and infotainment menus.  

Meanwhile the screen behind the steering wheel features a digital speedometer and rev counter. 

Both displays are “highly configurable,” says the magazine. For instance, drivers can move the sat nav window between the two screens.

Performance 

The 2018 A-Class will launch with a host of new engines, says Top Gear. These are smaller and more efficient than those found in the current model. 

Buyers can spec an A-Class with either a turbocharged 1.2, 1.4, 1.6 or 2.0-litre engine, the magazine says. Diesel models will also join the line-up and a plug-in hybrid variant could appear later in the car’s lifecycle. 

Car magazine says that Mercedes is tipped to launch a faster AMG version of the hatchback next year.