By: Greg Kable on 3/05/2012
Mercedes-Benz has gone back to the drawing board for the third-generation A-class, unveiled on Monday prior to the opening of the Geneva motor show.
The five-door hatchback, set for European sale in September but not planned for the U.S. lineup, forgoes the tall one-box stature of its predecessor for a considerably lower two-box stature that gives it a more conventional silhouette. This puts the A-class into direct competition with the new Audi A3, the BMW 1-series, the Volvo V40 and Europe's perennial best seller, the Volkswagen Golf.
The A-class rides on Mercedes-Benz's new modular front architecture (MFA) platform that underpins the second-generation B-class. The platform is also set to be used beneath the upcoming CLC, the CLC Shooting Brake and the GLC off-roader, all three of which are set to be sold in North American.
Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20120305/GENEVA/120309918#ixzz1oMfg7NwA