Mercedes-Benz is set to blur the line between MPV and SUV for the next A-Class, making it more like the original iteration of the 1990s.
In a bid to keep the next-generation A-Class alive, Mercedes-Benz appears to be repositioning the model as a practicality-focused 'crossover' SUV akin to the 1990s original.
Succession plans for the A-Class hatch will see it adopt taller, more spacious cues from the B-Class mini-MPV, which was dropped in Australia in 2023.
While the more practical tall-hatch segment once popular in Europe has fallen from favour, a Mercedes-Benz executive has revealed that the next A-Class will look more like an SUV, to boost its sales success.
In an interview with German publication Automobilwoche, Mercedes development chief Jörg Burzer revealed that the next A-Class “will be a model that doesn’t currently exist in this form.”
As is typical for any new-generation vehicle, the next A-Class, expected to debut in late 2027 and go on sale in 2028, has been the subject of a variety of design proposals.
Burzer described the chosen design as “a very attractive vehicle” that “we have to do”.
While Mercedes-Benz hasn't offered any official word on what form the next A-Class will take, insiders told the German outlet it will blend the taller body of a compact minivan with the styling cues normally seen on an SUV.
The move essentially resets the A-Class to its original form, with the first-generation model, launched in 1996, debuting a taller roofline and monovolume shape that prioritises passenger space.
The next-generation A-Class is unlikely to adopt the ‘sandwich floor’ construction of the first-generation model, which placed occupants above the engine bay, and leaned the engine over to save space.
That pioneering model reduced the space required for the engine bay and pushed the engine under the floor in the event of a serious frontal collision.
The new MMA modular platform, already in use beneath the CLA and GLB models, uses a more traditional engine-forward layout, but is modular to allow petrol, hybrid, and electric power sources.
Mercedes-Benz won't be alone with the more upright design, however, with Audi also working on an electric mini MPV, likely to revive the A2 badge, to sell alongside the petrol A3 range.
While Mercedes-Benz also has the GLA compact SUV in its line-up, it is expected to remain in its current, more curvaceous SUV form, while the A-Class is repositioned as the more practical model.
With the move to a more dedicated SUV style, the A-Class sedan will not be replaced, with Mercedes-Benz instead focusing on the CLA four-door coupe in sedan-hungry markets like China and North America.
Kez Casey migrated from behind spare parts counters to writing about cars over ten years ago. Raised by a family of automotive workers, Kez grew up in workshops and panel shops before making the switch to reviews and road tests for The Motor Report, Drive and CarAdvice.
