If the Tin Man had driven to Oz, he'd have taken the Mercedes-Benz Concept A-Class. Just look at that sparkly, silver hatch and tell me that T-man wouldn't have packed Lion, Scarecrow and Dorothy (Todo on her lap) and hightailed it to the Wizard to take care of that heart problem.
Unfortunately for him, this Mercedes A-Class wasn't around way back when. In fact, it wasn't around last week because Mercedes unveiled it at both the Shanghai and New York auto shows earlier this week.
Not your grandaddy's Mercedes, the A-Class is aimed squarely at a younger consumer. Of course, that young savvy buyer isn't living in his grandaddy's world either--he wants something that combines style, playfulness and environmental consciousness. And Mercedes delivers in the form of a 2.0-liter 'BlueEfficiency' turbocharged four-cylinder. In addition to the turbo, the engine uses direct injection to maximize efficiency. And it puts out 210 horses, which should be plenty virile for driving the front wheels of the compact hatch.
While the 2.0-liter four-cylinder was the engine that Mercedes envisioned for the concept, the company is thinking well beyond that single engine and considering hybrid and electric versions. In fact, Mercedes plans to spin at least four production models from the platform including a possible four-door coupe and minivan. The first, of course, will be a two-door hatchback similar to the concept shown this week. That model is expected to hit the European market next year. And unlike the last A-Class, we'll get a crack at this one here in the States.
Like any good concept car nowadays, the Concept A-Class packs a raft of technological safety and information features including smartphone integration, fiber optic daytime running lights and a radar-based collision warning system with both audible and visual notification.
From what we can see in the video below, the concept has a clean interior with sharp contrast between silver architecture and bright red instrument panel and accent lighting. The infotainment display looks more like a tablet computer than a typical display.
Check out its every nook and cranny:
