At the 2018 Beijing Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz has showcased the A-Class sedan which could possibly make a debut in India in the near future. The compact luxury sedan slots in below the CLA, and as the name suggests, is a sedan sibling of the A-Class hatchback.
Revealed for now in China, it comes with a 1.3L, 4-cylinder petrol motor producing 136 HP of power ranging up to 163 HP. A 2.0L, 4-cylinder petrol will come in later churning out 190 HP of power. Obviously, it will come matched to an automatic gearbox.
Codenamed the Z177, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class sedan is styled similar to the A-Class when it comes to the front end. The headlamp, grille, front body profile all looks similar. The rearward profiling although similar to the coupe-like styling of the CLA, has its share of uniqueness. On the inside, the new A-Class sedan has a completely different taste of things. New dashboard, new AC controls and vents, digital instrument console and infotainment system, top class leather upholstery, ambient lighting and much more.
Officially, Mercedes-Benz has named this product as the A-Class L in the Chinese market for now. But for other markets, there could be a shorter wheelbase option by 60mm since China loves long-wheelbase cars. The global car could measure 4549mm in length.
The A-Class hasn’t done very well to say the least in the Indian market. And that has more to do with the fact that a hatchback costs a lot, be it a luxury brand or not. So an A-Class L (sedan) at a similar price point could change the market sentiment. But it remains to be seen if the A-Class sedan and the CLA both coexist in the small market that the cars would have.
