{"id":470736,"date":"2026-02-10T14:16:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T14:16:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/470736\/"},"modified":"2026-02-10T14:16:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T14:16:07","slug":"mercedes-to-introduce-new-a-class-on-mma-platform","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/470736\/","title":{"rendered":"Mercedes to introduce new A-Class on MMA platform"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 2023, Mercedes CEO Ola K\u00e4llenius announced four models based on the Mercedes Modular Architecture<\/a>, which were set to form the Stuttgart-based manufacturer\u2019s new compact-class lineup: the CLA as a four-door coup\u00e9, a shooting brake derivative of the CLA, and two SUV models to succeed the EQA and EQB. There was no longer a place in the plans for the A-Class or the B-Class. K\u00e4llenius did not want to abandon the compact segment entirely but preferred to focus on saloons and SUVs, which promise higher margins\u2014and not on a traditional compact model or a van.<\/p>\n

However, Mercedes has since reconsidered its plans for the A-Class. The current model, which will continue to be produced until 2027, will now have a successor. \u201cIt will be a standalone model on the MMA platform, something that hasn\u2019t existed before,\u201d Development Chief J\u00f6rg Burzer told Automobilwoche. Mercedes now plans to offer five MMA model series instead of four.<\/p>\n

While the new model will succeed the A-Class, it will not be a traditional compact car. As Automobilwoche reports, it is set to be \u201ca crossover model that combines the advantages of an SUV with those of a compact van.\u201d Burzer declined to comment on the car\u2019s design but provided some insights into the manufacturer\u2019s plans. \u201cOur thinking here is: alongside models with a long wheelbase specifically for Asia and considerations for models even more tailored to the USA, we also want to continue offering a highly attractive entry-level model based on the MMA architecture for Europe,\u201d said the Technical Director.<\/p>\n

MMA enables battery-electric vehicles and hybrids<\/p>\n

On the sidelines of the facelifted S-Class premiere in Stuttgart at the end of January, Mercedes CEO Ola K\u00e4llenius had already hinted at the model, stating that after discussions with European dealers and initial design drafts, he had decided to proceed with a new edition.<\/p>\n

However, beyond the fact that the model is expected to launch in 2028 and will be based on the MMA, little else has been confirmed. While it is likely that it will also be a battery-electric model\u2014given that the MMA was developed with electric drivetrains in mind\u2014it is a mixed platform. Both the CLA and the GLB are also planned as hybrids. Whether the A-Class successor will utilise both drivetrain types remains unknown.<\/p>\n

As a potential production location, Automobilwoche suggests the Hungarian plant in Kecskem\u00e9t. The current A-Class is still being produced in parallel with the electric CLA at the Rastatt plant<\/a>, but will be relocated to Hungary by the first quarter of 2026, ahead of its production end in 2027. With the electric GLB, Kecskem\u00e9t is already prepared for the MMA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In the interview, Burzer also more or less confirmed the\u2014hardly surprising\u2014end of the EQS. \u201cBy the end of the decade,\u201d an all-electric S-Class is set to arrive. \u201cAt that point, we will offer both drivetrain types in the S-Class,\u201d said the manager. \u201cWe have learned an enormous amount from the electric EQS. How we will implement this exactly will be communicated at a later date. Ultimately, we want the S-Class to have a powertrain portfolio that enables electromobility as well as electrified internal combustion engine technology. I don\u2019t want to reveal exactly what the platform will look like yet\u2014but it will be visually and technically highly attractive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Burzer left open whether there will be a dedicated electric and combustion-engine platform or a mixed platform. Mercedes is currently pursuing both approaches in parallel: the MMA models will be offered as battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), while, for example, the GLC consists of two model ranges under this name\u2014the familiar combustion-engine hybrid and, since IAA 2025, the GLC with EQ technology, which has been visually aligned more closely with the combustion-engine model but is based on an electric platform.<\/p>\n

The fact that the recently updated S-Class appears less innovative to some observers and has merely been brought up to the level of the CLA in certain functions is not a problem for Burzer but rather the new reality. \u201cThe world has changed. In the past, you could wait six or seven years for an innovation\u2014until the S-Class arrived,\u201d says the Development Director. \u201cRolling out everything from one model downwards no longer works today. Innovation cycles are simply too short for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

automobilwoche.de<\/a> (A-Class), automobilwoche.de<\/a> (full interview with S-Class statements, both in German)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In 2023, Mercedes CEO Ola K\u00e4llenius announced four models based on the Mercedes Modular Architecture, which were set…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":470737,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[570],"tags":[64,63,786,785,85],"class_list":["post-470736","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mma","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-fighting","tag-mma","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/470736","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=470736"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/470736\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/470737"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=470736"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=470736"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=470736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}