The new Mercedes-Benz A-Class will arrive in 2028 on the MMA platform

Mercedes-Benz has taken an unexpected turn in its strategy that affects the entry-level segment of its vehicle range. Although the brand’s initial plans involved getting rid of the A-Class and betting everything on the new electric CLA as the gateway to the Mercedes world, it now seems that the A-Class will not end up dying after all.

Under the company’s new approach, confirmed by Mercedes-Benz’s own Head of Development, the new A-Class will become a reality in 2028. According to him, the current A-Class will remain in production until 2027, before being finally replaced by a new model based on the MMA platform.

An A-Class for everyone

However, and contrary to what one might imagine, this A-Class successor will not be a conventional four-door compact model, but a crossover that will combine the advantages of an SUV with those of a compact MPV, thus offering practicality, greater ground clearance and a higher level of versatility.

Although specific details about its design are still unknown, the brand’s aim with this new approach is to be able to sell a more globally attractive model that better suits the tastes of its customers in various markets.

“We want to maintain a very attractive entry-level model for Europe based on the MMA platform, alongside long-wheelbase versions for Asia and options better adapted to the American market.”

The MMA platform is very versatile and allows both fully electric and hybrid (HEV) versions. Although the main objective of this platform is to drive electrification and so, for example, alongside the electric versions of the CLA and GLB, hybrid versions are also expected, for the time being it is still unclear whether both propulsion systems will be offered with the new A-Class.

Following Mercedes-Benz’s new strategy, production of the current A-Class will be gradually moved to the Hungarian Kecskemét plant from the first quarter of 2026, where other models based on the MMA platform, such as the GLB, will also be assembled. This relocation leads us to think that the future A-Class could also come off this plant.

Goodbye to the EQS

Beyond these plans affecting the entry-level segment of Mercedes-Benz’s vehicle range, the German manufacturer has also revealed its intentions for the upper range. Company management has already set an expiry date for the current EQS at the end of this decade, when it will be replaced by a new S-Class with fully electric and hybrid versions. Drawing on the experience gained with the EQS, the brand’s next flagship will combine visual and technical innovation, although the information currently available on this is very limited.