The Chief of Daimler AG, Dieter Zetsche unveiled the third generation A Class hatchback at the Geneva Motor Show. The new A Class is a paradigm shift in Mercedes’ thinking with it now having adopted the MFA or Modular Front wheel drive Architecture but in actual terms it is perhaps the most conventional of all the three generations of the A Class. The original A Class had tall structure with a mono volume silhouette since its engines were unconventionally located under the floor. The car thus constructed failed the famous elk test and that led to Mercedes exploring more electronics such as the electronic stability programme. Now the third generation has adopted the front wheel drive architecture and looks like a conventional hatch though the design cues are quite fussy. It will come with a choice of 6 speed manual transmission or 7 speed dual clutch transmission and with engines that could be sourced from Renault as well. This is Mercedes Benz’s attempt to stem the fall that has seen BMW overtaking it in sales terms in most markets around the world.
