Mercedes confirms that the Clase A will remain on the market, although with changes

The future of the Mercedes Clase A was not at all clear, since the brand had announced that it would abandon the entry-level segments. Its intention, initially, was to remain a luxury brand, so the most basic levels were not important to them. But things have changed and it seems that the Mercedes Clase A will remain on the market for an indefinite period.

At least, that is what can be gathered from the statements of Ola Källenius, chairman of the Daimler AG group and head of the passenger car division of Mercedes-Benz. The executive has said that compact models account for at least 29% of the company’s sales, which augurs well for the company’s plans.

Sales in 2022 totaled 2,043,900 units worldwide. Of that total, compacts sold 587,700 units, a figure that is not to be underestimated. However, the strategy followed by Mercedes seemed to be heading towards premium models, more expensive and with better equipment. For this reason, the general assumption was that the brand would do away with these lower-range models.

The statements of the German executive have ensured the continuity of the Mercedes Clase A. But he has also made it clear that the focus will be on the models that are most successful globally. The GLA will presumably also remain, although some body styles, such as the saloon or the CLA, may disappear.

This new generation of the Mercedes Clase A will use the MMA platform. This architecture is designed for electric cars, so it already gives us a clue as to where this new model is heading. This model will enter the “Entry Luxury” category, which will have higher prices than it does today.

There are seven models in this category: Clase A, Clase B, Clase A Sedán, CLA coupé, CLA Shooting Brake, GLA/EQA and GLB/EQB, although only four of them will remain. The Clase B will be one of those to disappear, and the focus will be on a Clase A with better equipment and a higher price. In this way, the company will try to increase the profit of each unit sold, which could reach a 14% profitability.