Mercedes A-Class Sedan reportedly due by late 2018

Before you say "but that's what the CLA essentially is," the report mentions it will slot above it.

As if there weren’t enough sedans in Mercedes’ ever-growing portfolio, the company with the three-pointed star logo is allegedly cooking up a new one. Autocar has it on good authority the new entry is going to serve as a direct rival for the Audi A3 Sedan and the new China-only BMW 1 Series Sedan. It will share the updated MFA underpinnings with the next-gen A-Class and will be positioned above the CLA, meaning that it will be bigger and more expensive than the “four-door coupe,” but at the same time it will not step on the C-Class’ toes. That being said, it is believed passenger space and trunk capacity will almost match the C.
Read Article

cidflekken - 12/27/2016 6:26:29 PM

+2 Boost

Not sure how Mercedes expects this not to step on the C-class toes if passenger space is commensurate at a lower cost. I think that is what's preventing the new A4 from seeing even larger increases, because the A3 so closely matches its interior space at a lower price.

MDarringer - 12/27/2016 7:18:08 PM

0 Boost

I think an A Class sedan is a mistake because it will be yet another Renault Megane clone. The CLA is the appropriate entry-level Mercedes.

dotuno - 1/1/2017 8:53:12 PM

+1 Boost

Based on their current A-C-E-S nomenclature, it is to be expected - sedans: A, C, E, S; SUVs: GLA, GLC, GLE, GLS; 4-door "coupes" (ugh): CLA, CLS (which really should be, and possibly will become CLE), maybe a proper CLS (not introduced for a while in order not to make matters quite confusing i.e. "New CLS is *not* successor of old CLS?!").

But the A Class/1 Series/A3 sedans still seem hard to justify, though. That close in size and price to the proper C Class/3 Series/A4, won't they needlessly cannibalize? Could the brands simply not have introduced more stripped-down, entry levels of the C/3/A4 instead, at thousands less and in the general price range of the A/1/A3?