Oh Lord Won't You Buy Me… A Front Wheel Drive Hatch?
This isn’t the first time Mercedes has rolled out a front-drive design, but for the first time it’s creating a flood of transverse-engined cars that won’t be limited to Europe, but are intended to conquer the whole world. And this, the concept version of the forthcoming Mercedes A Class, previews one of the most important bodystyles of Benz’s front-drive offensive, the “family hatch.” But as important as this funky Audi A3-fighting hatch is to the global fight for front-drive luxury acceptance, it does not appear to be headed stateside.
Thanks to Mercedes’ exquisite sensitivity to “American tastes” (pronounced with a slight shudder in the original German), we’ll only be getting sedan, “sporty coupe” and (sigh) crossover versions of this platform. Two liter engines (think 150-200 HP), and dual clutch transmissions should motivate US versions when they launch next year, and eventually a turbocharged 320 HP AWD “STI by AMG” version should become available. Just try to stop using the phrase “wrong wheel drive” in front of the local Mercedes dealer.
More by Edward Niedermeyer
Latest Car Reviews
Read moreLatest Product Reviews
Read moreRecent Comments
- Varezhka Of all the countries to complain about WTO rules violation, especially that related to battery business…
- Carson D At 1:24 AM, the voyage data recorder (VDR) stopped recording the vessel’s system data, but it was able to continue taping audio. At 1:26 AM, the VDR resumed recording vessel system data. Three minutes later, the Dali collided with the bridge. Nothing suspicious at all. Let's go get some booster shots!
- Darren Mertz Where's the heater control? Where's the Radio control? Where the bloody speedometer?? In a menu I suppose. How safe is that??? Volvo....
- Lorenzo Are they calling it a K4? That's a mountain in the Himalayas! Stick with names!
- MaintenanceCosts It's going to have to go downmarket a bit not to step on the Land Cruiser's toes.
Comments
Join the conversation
What the heck is that thing? A sea cow with sagging layers of fat?
It would sell big in the U.S. but at the expense of its high end, highly profitable luxobarge siblings. The Mercedes 'brand' is too valuable in the U.S., possibly Mercedes' most important market, to be deluded by subcompacts.