Mercedes-Benz just doesn’t seem to know what to do with the A-Class. It initially wanted to kill off the hatchback/sedan last year to make way for a new vanguard of electric-first compact cars, but falling EV demand granted a stay of execution until 2026. Now, however, the current W177’s continued popularity – particularly in Europe – is fuelling a continued production run until 2028.
The news was confirmed by Stuttgart’s head of production Jorg Burzer, reported Carscoops citing German publication Automobilwoche. Despite sales remaining strong, however – even with a 15% year-on-year drop, an impressive 27,772 units still managed to find homes in Europe between January and May this year, according to Dataforce – the A-Class continues to live on borrowed time, with no successor planned.
Jorg insists that this latest two-year extension really will be the “final run”, shifting the remaining production at the A-Class’ usual home of Rastatt to Kecskemét in Hungary. This will free up space at the German plant for a new range of models built on the Mercedes Modular Architecture (MMA).
One of those, the CLA, has already been launched in Europe. Despite the stumbling block that is the car’s inability to charge the car at 400-volt stations, demand for the four-door coupé is such that a third shift on the production line has already been added. There’s also now a new Shooting Brake version.
Further down the line will be the next-generation GLA and GLB, as well as a new g-Class, i.e. the “baby G-Class”. However, the latter will not be built on MMA, as Mercedes wants to maintain the geländewagen‘s trademark off-roading prowess, although it’s not clear if this will mean the full-sized model’s ladder-frame chassis will be retained.
GALLERY: W177 Mercedes-Benz A-Class in Malaysia
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German saga
Oh noooo. What would the 9 year loan kaki buy if the A was discontinued. Haha