This is not the new Mercedes CLA. There will be one, but this isn’t it. It’s actually the new Mercedes A-Class ‘Sedan’. And it’s coming to Britain, where no doubt they’ll call it a ‘Saloon’. Back in April Mercedes unveiled a long-wheelbase A-Class Sedan at the Beijing Motor Show. Because if there’s one thing China likes in a car, it’s rear-legroom. But the rest of the world isn’t bothered, so before putting it on sale elsewhere, Mercedes trimmed 60mm from the wheelbase. Engines, tech and, well, everything fore of the B-Pillar is pure A-Class Hatch. From launch it’ll be available with either the 1.3-litre ‘A200’ petrol engine (with 161bhp and 184lb ft) or 1.5-litre ‘A180d’ four-cylinder diesel (with 114bhp and 192lb ft). Both get a seven-speed, dual-clutch gearbox and front-wheel drive. Might be a bit greener than the Hatch, even though the engines are the same. See, Mercedes claims the A Saloon isn’t just the most aerodynamic car in its class or at its price-point, but the most aerodynamic car on sale today. Context? The new Alpine A110 has a drag coefficient of 0.31. The A Saloon’s is 0.22. Lower is better. Inside it’s the same twin-screen setup featuring the new, and quite excellent, MBUX infotainment system. That means voice control that actually works, and if you tick the right option box, flash augmented reality sat-nav. Meanwhile S-Class-level driver assistance tech keeps you pointing in the right direction. This, or an Audi A3 Saloon?<doc-sep>Mercedes A Class Saloon 2018 UK specs have been revealed FREE for motoring tips every driver needs to know SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up forfor motoring tips every driver needs to know When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Mercedes is launching the all-new A-Class Saloon 2018 variant towards the end of the year in the UK. It follows on from the launch of the revamped hatchback earlier this year but offers a little more practicality and different styling. Merc’s baby saloon car will take aim at the Audi A3 and follows the launch of a long wheelbase version launch at the Beijing Motor show for the Chinese market earlier this year. It is 130mm longer and 6mm taller than the hatchback but is the same width. Boot space is a decent 420-litre but it is still beaten by the Audi A3s 425-litres. Mercedes A Class Saloon 2018 REVEALED in pictures Tue, July 24, 2018 Mercedes A-Class Saloon 2018 REVEALED in pictures Play slideshow Mercedes 1 of 56 Mercedes A Class Saloon 2018 Mercedes does say, however, that the car does offer above-average shoulder, elbow, and headroom for the driver and front-seat passenger. In addition to this, Merc claim that the car offers class-leading rear headroom. Despite its larger proportions it is essentially the A-Class hatch inside and out with a few subtle tweaks such as the emphasised wheel arches to accommodate the larger wheels. One big talking point of the car is its drag coefficient which Mercedes claims is better than any car currently on sale today. Mercedes has emphasised how aerodynamic the car is, which should, in turn, make it a little more economical than the hatch variant, despite them sharing the same engines. The new MBUX interior design Powering the car will a choice of one petrol and one diesel from launch. The A200 which comes with 163bhp and 250Nm of torque comes mated to a 7G-DCT dual-clutch transmission as is the A180d diesel powertrain which comes with 116 hp and 260 Nm of torque. Entry-level models of the car come equipped with a number of driving assistance systems such as Active Brake Assist and Active Lane Keeping Assist. It also comes equipped with the PRE-SAFE PLUS systems which can recognise rear-end collision and firmly apply the brakes. At the heart of the new interior is the Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) multimedia system which the German carmaker says is ‘customisable and adapts to the user’ and will create ‘an emotional connection between vehicle, driver, and passengers.’ The new A-Class saloon shares much of the same DNA as the hatch variant<doc-sep>All photos by the manufacturer Photo : Mercedes-Benz We got a peek at the 2019 Mercedes A-Class in hatchback form earlier this year, but the U.S. market car will be sedan only. I’m still excited about it, because based on this batch of photos, it seems like a damn fine-looking little car. Advertisement It’s a reserved design, but it’s sharp and clean. I think a set of retro monoblock wheels would look cooler than the split five-spokes we see here, but I suppose I’ll wait to find out how good the thing is to drive before I start fantasizing about modifications. Our man Justin Westbrook is at the A-Class launch event in New York as I write this, so I’m sure he’ll have some first-person perspective for you soon. But for now, we can just enjoy the company’s media album from this Mercedes press release. The American market A-Class range will include the A220 and a A220 4MATIC, both of which will run a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder turbocharged engine rated to a modest 188 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque. A seven-speed dual-clutch automatic will be the only transmission option. That’s not a whole lot of get up and go, but the four-banger doesn’t have too much car to move, either. Mercedes says that the 2019 A-Class is 179.1 inches long with a 107.4-inch wheelbase, 70.7 inches wide and 56.9 inches tall. The CLA, Merc’s most diminutive sedan in the U.S. until today, is just a hair bigger at 182.3 inches long. Advertisement Pricing hasn’t been confirmed yet, and I don’t see a hit-dealerships date either, but I’d expect this vehicle to cost a little less than a comparably equipped CLA, which starts at about $33,000 these days. It doesn’t look like the U.S. will get an A-Class that’s quite as lean as the base model in Europe, but this will now effectively be the cheapest route to brand new Mercedes ownership. Based on pictures of the A-Class alone, I love it. Here’s hoping it drives as well as it looks and that there’s a V8 AMG version on the horizon. I mean, it’d probably be a V6 if anything, but a boy can dream. Advertisement Apparently more details on the 2019 A-Class will be announced at the Paris Motor Show in October.<doc-sep>
Photo credit: Mercedes-Benz From Road & Track A little over 35 years ago, Mercedes-Benz debuted a new model, the 190. It might have been the company's smallest, cheapest car, but it was one of the most advanced, too. The 190 since morphed into the C-Class, which is bigger and more luxurious than ever, creating room for a new entry-level sedan. Meet the A220 Sedan, the new baby Benz. Let's take a step back first, though. The A-Class has existed in hatchback form outside the US market since 1997, and in the US, we even got a coupe-ish four-door version of the last-generation A, the CLA. But, this is the first time Mercedes has done a real A-Class sedan, and it reminds us a lot of the old 190. Photo credit: Mercedes-Benz When it goes on sale later this year, the A220 will be the smallest, cheapest Mercedes available in the US, and the most high-tech. It'll be available with all the active driving assistant features found in larger Mercedes products, and it gets the company's nifty new infotainment system, MBUX. The new A-Class is about the same size as the 190, too, measuring 179.1 inches long, 70.7 inches wide, and 56.9 inches tall, with a 107.4 inch wheelbase. All of those figures are no more than 5.0 inches more than those of the 190. Back when the 190 was developed, Mercedes was obsessed with aerodynamics, which resulted in the old baby Benz having an impressive 0.33 drag coefficient. The same true with the new A-Class sedan, which has a drag coefficient of just 0.22, the lowest of any car on sale today, Mercedes claims. Photo credit: Mercedes-Benz Its slippery bodywork reminds us of the new CLS, while the sides resemble the current C-Class. The interior is handsome, too, especially with the optional 10.25-inch digital gauge cluster and infotainment screens (seven-inch screens are standard). Unlike the 190, the A-Class is based on a front-wheel drive platform, though 4Matic all-wheel drive is optional here. The front suspension uses McPherson struts, while there are two rear-axle configurations-a torsion bar for base front-drive models, and a four-link setup for higher-spec cars. Adaptive dampers are optional, too. Story continues Photo credit: Mercedes-Benz For now, the only engine available in this US-spec A-Class is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder making 188 hp and 221 lb-ft of torque. It's paired with a seven-speed automatic transmission. If that sounds boring to you, don't worry-AMG is working on two versions of the new A-Class, the A35, which should have around 300 hp, and the A45, which should have over 400. Those sound like more our speed. Pricing for the A220 hasn't been announced yet, but Mercedes says the car will go on sale towards the end of this year. The 190 did a brilliant job of bringing big Mercedes style, tech, and quality to a compact sedan. The A-Class sedan looks like it'll do a great job of honoring its legacy. Photo credit: Mercedes-Benz ('You Might Also Like',)