The W 177 generation of the A-Class will arrive on the market in spring 2018, some 6 years after the introduction of the current W 176 series. The compact premium hatchback from Stuttgart will feature a bold, more mature and entirely new body language. The key visual elements of the new A-Class styling will be the streamlined, triangular and slimmer headlights and tail lamps. As well, the front fascia will be blessed with the inverted Star grille with Diamond pattern, another design motif that starts to become very widespread at Mercedes-Benz. Other than than, the silhouette of the new W 177 model series will be characterized by the absence of any unnecessary creases and lines and the complete reign of pure, sculptural, plain metal body forms.

The design of the upcoming A-Class has been previewed by the Concept A-Class Sedan and Concept EQA showcars this year. Although toned down a bit and stripped off flashy and futuristic design elements, the final car will certainly emphasize a strong attitude and a more grown up and solid presence. Building up on its already recognized qualities, the new A-Class will become more refined, more premium and will offer an increased interior space thanks to the extra centimeters in length. A new control and display concept will be launched, with a heavily revised layout which puts an accent on digitalization, with multiple screens to be used for replacing the traditional instrument cluster and for the COMAND infotainment system.

Underpinned by the MFA 2 platform, the compact hatchback will also premiere a new range of petrol and diesel engines, of which the low-displacement units will be co-developed with partner Renault-Nissan. The high-end models, offering a new automatic, 9-speed automatic gearbox dubbed 9G-DCT as standard and the optional choice of 4MATIC, will be powered by in-house developed engines, such as the OM654 4-cylinder diesel engine with 194 hp of peak output and the M264 I4 petrol powerplant producing in excess of 200 hp for the A 250 range-topper. The Mercedes-AMG A 45 4MATIC performance hatchback will follow later in 2018 (in the second semester, most likely) and boast a beefy stance, backed by the outrageous design incorporating the Panamericana grille, the quad oval exhausts and certain AMG-specific styling cues. An all new AMG turbocharged engine with 4 cylinder that delivers over 400 hp and sends power on all four wheels thanks to the performance all-wheel-drive system and the automatic transmission is expected to arrive under the hood of the future generation Mercedes-AMG A 45.











Image Credits: Motor1

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Mercedes-Benz advances design idiom consistently: "The days of creases are over"

With the advent of the future generation A-Class (W 177), Mercedes-Benz will premiere a new design philosophy that is derived from the current one, Sensual Purity. It is, in fact, Phase 2 of the successful design language that was launched back in 2012 on the then new A-Class (W 176). The styling will be reduced to a minimal level, with very few creases and stripped down of any unnecessary details. The new E-Class Coupe (C 238) has given the first glimpse into such a puristic design idiom with its clean side profile, with absent character lines and pronounced, muscular rear wheel shoulders.

The Aesthetics A design study, which is in fact a sculpture, offers further insight onto the next phase of Sensual Purity. It embodies the silhouette of the forthcoming Mercedes-Benz A-Class Limousine (possible internal codename: V 177), which is to be sold on all markets, with a greater emphasis on the Chinese market where sedans from all classes are selling like hot cakes. Apart from the plain, metal-sheet body sporting just a minimum amount of edges and creases, another design element that is also previewed by the sculpture is the inverted radiator grille, which is set to spread across the entire portfolio of models in the coming years. Compared to the current SL generation (R 231), which which sports a single, horizontally-placed louvre, the grille on the sculpture could signal the arrival of a different styling, with multitple slats placed vertically, very similar to the AMG Panamericana grille found on the GT family. Among the already mentioned, another striking, key visual element will be the new signature front fascia featuring a pointed, shark-like snout that is certain to offer a mindblowing stance for every new Mercedes-Benz model embracing the Phase 2 of the "Sensual Purity" design language.

Read more details in the following press release. Enjoy!

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Sindelfingen - The Mercedes-Benz designers have restyled the product range with great success. The upcoming compact class generation marks the dawn of an even more rigorous implementation of the design idiom of "sensual purity". The "Aesthetics A" sculpture provides a first indication.

The designers at Mercedes-Benz are reconciling tradition and modernity in designing the cars for the future. Their work centres on 'Sensual Purity' as an expression of modern luxury. In applying this design philosophy, Mercedes-Benz sparked a transformation in design with the current A‑Class, launched in 2012. The new design idiom featuring edges and creases – indentations and recesses in the sheet metal – aimed to create clear forms and sensual surfaces which showcase high tech while also arousing emotions. This played a decisive role in making the brand younger and was key to the company's excellent sales results. Every Mercedes-Benz model that followed since was born from this philosophy despite having an individual character.

With the "Aesthetics A" sculpture, the design team now presents the vision of a saloon car in the compact car segment which is stripped down to the essential body. It also provides a clear indication of how the design philosophy of 'Sensual Purity' will be manifested in the not too distant future. The "Aesthetics A" sculpture embodies the advancement of the Mercedes-Benz design idiom.

"Form and body are what remain when creases and lines are reduced to the extreme. We have the courage to implement this purism", says Chief Design Officer of Daimler AG, Gorden Wagener. "In combination with perfect proportions and sensual surface design, the upcoming generation of the compact class has the potential to herald a new design era. Design is also the art of omission: the days of creases are over".

Rather than modifying the basic shape with lines and creases, the Mercedes-Benz designers employ sweeping surfaces at angles to each other to contour the body design with light and shadow and to emphasise the proportions. This makes the essence of a body visible and communicates it in a credible way. The expressive and confident red as a new signature Mercedes-Benz colour underscores the sensuality and emotion of the sculpture.

"Aesthetics A" has a three-box design and is thus also a sign of new forms in the compact class, because outside of Germany and Europe classic saloons are also very much in demand in this segment.

The "Aesthetics A" sculpture is a continuation of a series of sculptures from Mercedes-Benz which to date comprises the works "Aesthetics No. 1" (2010), "Aesthetics No. 2", "Aesthetics 125" (both 2011) and "Aesthetics S" (2012).

Design as a key success factor for Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz design serves to showcase a passion for automobiles in a modern design idiom. The importance which Daimler AG attaches to design today was highlighted when the post of Chief Design Officer was established on 1 November 2016. Dr Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars: "Good design is about much more than simply creating beautiful products: It combines functionality with fascination and gives brand values a distinctive form. We are delighted that our design team under the leadership of Gorden Wagener is among the best in the industry, because the excellent global sales of our vehicles is ultimately also due to their outstanding design".


Image Source: Daimler / Mercedes-Benz

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The modern shooting brake in the acception of Mercedes-Benz came to life in 2012, when the first generation CLS Shooting Brake was launched during autumn that year. The X 218 model series brought its inspiration from the homonymous concept car that was showcased back in 2010, as a preview of the new CLS generation that followed in October the same year. While the public received the whole new concept of a five-door coupe in an enthusiastic manner, it seems that nowadays the CLS Shooting Brake is not doing that well, or at least, not as well as Mercedes-Benz execs would have deserved.

Even though sales for this particular niche model are going fine in Europe, not the same is the situation that we encounter in USA or China, which were supposed to be key markets to propel the figures for the CLS Shooting Brake. The lack of interest shown by American and Chinese customers, who would rather prefer a roomier SUV or crossover instead of a fancy sports wagon, has reportedly determined the Stuttgart decision makers to come to the conclusion that a further generation of the CLS Shooting Brake is no longer sustainable or attractive. Beginning with the future generation CLS, which is to arrive by mid-2018, the Shooting Brake version will be discontinued.

We also learnt that the next generation CLS SB has been approved by the management in an early phase and that one regarding its overall design (the design freeze phase). Sadly though, it looks that we will never see it in full flesh. This situation also raises another question: will the CLA Shooting Brake make it past the first generation or will it eventually suffer the same conclusion?

Copyright © 2015, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

It has recently come to our attention that Mercedes-Benz plans to revamp its naming structure for several products that are already sold under a specific title. In fact, we reported on this issue about 1-2 years ago, when we revealed the company's plans to re-align its models based on a logical nomenclature that accounts for the core vehicles of the brand: the A-, B-, C-, E-, G- and S-Class.

The most intriguing part comes right now. Starting with the 2015 generation, which is set to go on sale in April next year, the M-Class will be officially entitled GLE-Class. This name is closer to what the ML really is: a business SUV, developed on the current platform of the E-Class. However, this change could otherwise cause a bit of a confusion, as the M-Class is already a well-established name. Although yet to be confirmed by officials from Stuttgart, this rumor could turn out to be false if we remember that, back in 2010, before the launch of the facelift generation C 216 CL-Class, there was a report indicating the car would receive the S-Class Coupe, which was not the case in the end.

Moving back to our subject, it turns out that the change from the ML moniker to GLE could prove to be true as Mercedes-Benz will also introduce their new SUV Coupe, initially called MLC and then M-Class Coupe. An all new name or an all new model seems just the right move in order to raise public awareness. So, the new-generation W 166 will be entitled as the GLE-Class, whereas the new C 292 will be known as the GLE-Class Coupe.

Further changes in the official nomenclature are set to take place in the next years. Most models of the lineup will receive a new name, as follows:

- the successor of the current X 205 GLK-Class will be known as GLC-Class starting with September 2015, when the X 253 is set for market launch
- the future X 167 GL-Class will be renamed to GLS-Class
- the next R 173 series will become SLC-Class instead of the current SLK
- the future 4-door coupes of Mercedes-Benz will retain the "CL" root in their names and will add the corrresponding letter at the end, as follows: CLA remains as so, CLC will be the four-door coupe of the C-Class, CLE will replace the current CLS, whereas a future 4-door S-Class Coupe is to receive the CLS title
- the new compact city SUV will eventually carry the GLG name, and not GLB as initially rumored

The 2-door and sporty utility coupes will receive the particle "Coupe" alongside the class which they belong to: E-Class Coupe, C-Class Coupe, GLE-Class Coupe, GLC-Class Coupe and so on. The iconic name SL will remain unaffected by the changes, as it carries over a tradition of over 60 years. This particle will further be mated with other letters, as new versions of the current main lineups will be introduced. One of them will be a roadster version of the A-Class, which could be entitled SLA. Other reports indicate that names such as CSA or CSE are also possible, but seem to be highly unlikely, given this new nomenclature scheme.

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