Mercedes-Benz makes it official: Current A-Class will be the last

Mercedes-Benz’s Chief Technology Officer has officially commented on rumours regarding the future of the A-Class, stating that the current fourth generation model will not be renewed for a fifth time.

Setting the record straight

Reported as far back as 2022 to be living on borrowed time, a mid-life overhaul that same year came with the assurance that the A-Class would live on until at least 2026, at which point, it would have been in production for eight years.

“It’s not our goal to be a competitor of the volume producers. That’s not what the Mercedes-Benz brand stands for,” the three-pointed star’s CEO, Ola Källenius, told Britain’s Autocar at the time.

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Addressing the internally named W177 A-Class on the sidelines of the new CLA’s unveiling last week, technology head, Markus Schäfer, reiterated comments made in 2023 that a need to reduce line-up complexity would see both the A-Class and B-Class being shelved, possibly in early 2026.

The streamlining, aimed at reducing Stuttgart’s product portfolio from 33 to 14 models, has so far seen the end of the CLS, the coupe and cabriolet versions of the C-Class and E-Class replaced by the CLE, and before the end of this year, the entire EQ brand of electric vehicles.

At the same time, the coupe versions of the GLC and GLE are rumoured to be in the firing line followed by the C-Class Estate from 2028.

“We need models that work all over the world, including China and the USA. I know that the hatchback is the favourite in Europe, but it was not part of the plans and we had to make choices, even difficult ones,” a translated version of Schäfer’s comments about the A-Class to Italy’s quattoruote read.

“Reducing complexity is a key task for us [and] for this reason, bringing the compact family from seven to four models was necessary in this segment.”

‘Baby’ G takeover

Confirming the incoming “baby” g-Class as the replacement for the A-Class, B-Class and A-Class Sedan, Schäfer said it will, however, not ride on the CLA’s new MMA platform as this would negate the “off-road capabilities [a] G-Class must have”.

“For the baby G, we will make a specific [platform]. The MMA would not allow us to mount the wheels of the diameter necessary for a model of this kind, nor to give it the necessary ground clearance.”

For the moment, uncertainty surrounds the GLA and GLB as both could potentially impede on the g-Class’ sales once production of the former kicks-off next year.

More soon

As it stands, the A-Class remains in production, however, don’t be surprised if a line-reduction gets implemented within the coming months leading up to its eventual discontinuation after what will be four generations and just under three decades.

Additional information from carscoops.com.

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