Demise of the A class?

[grober]

Found this hidden away on 4 CAR. May be old news to some?
Mercedes is to drop the baby Benz, the A-Class, in 2011, according to German newspaper reports. The A-Class will reach the end of its current production cycle that year, and no direct replacement is planned
However, the larger B-Class - launched in 2005 - will continue, as this model is better suited to the North American market. The next-generation version, due in 2011, will be derived from the C-Class platform, however, and will thus be rear-wheel drive instead of front-wheel drive.Mercedes has not confirmed the A-Class's demise as yet, but has issued a response to the paper's claims saying that the range has by no means been a failure, with over 1.5 million sold since the MkI's launch in 1997.

 

[A210AMG]

Hello,

Thing with that is I can see an entry level B class costing 20K ? that's still alot for entry to the Mercedes Brand.

Saying that I was in our stealers the other day picking up a key ring, and had a quick look round.

C180K in Red, it had phone prep, alloys (although awful) and was jusy short of £26,000

I have to say it didn't look £26K worth of car at all.

 

[IanA2]

Hope I don't offend too many....but....to me the A class was a symbol of MB's (temporary) decline. I tried one when they first came out, I thought they were awful then and nothing since has changed my mind.

 

[jaymanek]

the new a class is a fantastic little car, especially the diesel variants... its a shame they are not carrying it on...

 

[A210AMG]

Ian,

My wife has one which we bought second hand when she was expecting. Its a A210 lwb Amg... this would have been £21K new.

At that price I doubt we would have chose it but second hand value its very good. Has more passenger room than my ML and my Dads E class. It goes ok, looks good, rare and my wife gets over 40mpg out of it.

Build quality is fine we have had ours 18month and its needed nothing bar a service.

I agree RWD will be better however as in this weather trying to pull out (when I use it...) it just spins or traction flashes up.

So in summary for what we paid against what we could have got for our needs? Reno Senic type car. It does very well.

Cheers

 

[TonyVianoAmbiente]

So in summary for what we paid against what we could have got for our needs? Reno Senic type car.

Made in Nevada?

 

[neilrr]

Hello,

Thing with that is I can see an entry level B class costing 20K ? that's still alot for entry to the Mercedes Brand.

Saying that I was in our stealers the other day picking up a key ring, and had a quick look round.

C180K in Red, it had phone prep, alloys (although awful) and was jusy short of £26,000

I have to say it didn't look £26K worth of car at all.

My 190E 2.6 Sportline cost OVER £26K with options in 1990!

 

[A210AMG]

Neilrr

Fair enough but this C180K looked drab, horrible tiny wheels and far too many blanks inside. I just thought for £26K it was a lot of money.

At the time a 2.6 sportline was quite hghup in the 190 range next one was the 2.3-16v? ooh and its probably better built

 

[Rory]

It is old news about dropping the A Class. MB has been in talks for some time with Fiat on a new small car, but that came to nothing. There's even been talk of BMW and MB working together on platform sharing for a small car.

 

[hawk20]

I think it incredibly unlikely that Mercedes will drop the A or the B class. The ‘A’ has sold over 1.6 million, mostly to my family.

See this thread: - http://mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=499461#post499461


NEW A CLASS IN 2011
Mercedes Scouting Romania, Poland for New Plant
According to recent reports, Mercedes is looking at building a new plant in Romania or Poland. The plant would produce the next generation of Mercedes entry level A and B class models which are expected in 2011.

 

[Rose Chap]

I don't think there is anything wrong with the A Class per se, but in my opinion the MB brand should be reserved for the higher end products, starting with the C Class.

The A, B, and Vaneo Class vehicles could be branded as Smarts.

 

[grober]

I don't think there is anything wrong with the A Class per se, but in my opinion the MB brand should be reserved for the higher end products, starting with the C Class.

The A, B, and Vaneo Class vehicles could be branded as Smarts.

I understand what your saying but Mercedes will possibly need the smaller engined vehicles for the proposed new "across model range" EEC emission regs. This may give rise to a "free Smart (read mini-merc) with every S class" syndrome of course.

 

[scumbag]

Good riddence I say.

I always thought it spoilt the brand.

At least BMW kept the MINI name to show a difference.

 

[Alfie]

Good riddence I say.

I always thought it spoilt the brand.

At least BMW kept the MINI name to show a difference.

Poppycock!

Its a great car and rather than spoiling the brand, it supplements it rather well. I for one am glad they are keeping it going. Also, my wife's B class is one of the most comfortable and practical vehicles I've ever been in. Its the first vehicle we have had where the kids didnt moan about not enough leg room!

 

[TonyVianoAmbiente]

I don't think there is anything wrong with the A Class per se, but in my opinion the MB brand should be reserved for the higher end products, starting with the C Class.

If Mercedes were still making the old A Class, I would agree. But the new model is far superior, with build quality, fit and finish fully up to Mercedes standards.

I drove one on my honeymoon - a C180 CDi with a six speed auto - and was hugely impressed.

 

[scumbag]

Poppycock!

Its a great car and rather than spoiling the brand, it supplements it rather well. I for one am glad they are keeping it going.

I am glad I never said the a class is rubbish too. I fully expect Mercedes to knock up a good car whatever they chose to make. But I still think it spoilt the brand.


I never mentioned the B Class so I hope you are not too disappointed we don't share the same enthusiasm for the A class.

I do think the R class does not do it for the brand as well, and I never got my head round the C Sport Coupe either. To be honest, the GL doesnt do much for me.

Anyhow, if we were all the same, we would probably have to slum in it a BMW!

 

[mattc]

I am glad I never said the a class is rubbish too. I fully expect Mercedes to knock up a good car whatever they chose to make. But I still think it spoilt the brand.


I never mentioned the B Class so I hope you are not too disappointed we don't share the same enthusiasm for the A class.

I do think the R class does not do it for the brand as well, and I never got my head round the C Sport Coupe either. To be honest, the GL doesnt do much for me.

Anyhow, if we were all the same, we would probably have to slum in it a BMW!

Any Mercs you do like Mark?

 

[scumbag]

Any Mercs you do like Mark?

Yes, and boringly I will answer.

The C Class. E, S, SL, SLK, CLS, CLK Cab, ML, G wagon and some of the old orginal SL's and that one with the gullwing doors.

I don't mind looking at some of the older ones that members have as they tend to cherish them and that makes the car sometimes.

I don't mind Smarts either.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I think SMART was the sub-brand to Mercedes, in the way that MINI was the sub-brand to BMW.

I think what happened though was enough people could see the point in the ForTwo - after a while - not enough people bought into the Coupe/Roadster and ForFour. So in the end SMART is in a different class to MINI, but I'm not sure they were intended to be so far apart at the outset.

Whatever happens the prestiege and specialist manufacturers have to stretch into smaller cars for two reasons.

(1) Targets for emissions have been set which they must adhere to. Whilst the likes of Porsche lobbied the notion that they too would have to follow suit, I don't think this has been successful (yet).

A big reason that the likes of MB/BMW are stretching into smaller/green niche cars, to offset their bread & butter large and sporting cars when aggregating their net/average emissions for their entire range.

Hence the reason MB had more to gain than Swatch, and kept SMART going - it's not just about profit - it's about enabling them to continue producing vehicles that do turn a profit.

(2) The market is showing signs that people buying cars are more aware of smaller, more efficient, and more environmentally friendly transport. Whilst there may be a place for the opposite there's a risk that the potential audience reduces. So producing smaller cars is a way of hedging bets.

 

[hawk20]

I don't think there is anything wrong with the A Class per se, but in my opinion the MB brand should be reserved for the higher end products, starting with the C Class.

The A, B, and Vaneo Class vehicles could be branded as Smarts.

Then I wouldn't have bought the B class I had or the two A's and maybe my daughter wouldn't have bought the A or my brother......????

There is nothing higher end IMO about a C class. I have owned both and the interior of the A class is in every way as good as the E class I owned -let alone the C class.

Let me quote Autocar on the new A class when it came out: -
UK buyers will have to wait until early next year before right-hand drive cars are delivered, and can expect to pay accordingly to put a three-pointed star on their driveway. But the new A-class is everything the old one should have been: an individual, practical, prestige-badged small car. And it’s a real Mercedes.

Just go and try an Avantgarde or Elegance to get the interior spec and a 180cdi or 200 cdi to get pleasant performance. I think you'll be surprised.