Geneva Motor Show: 2013 Mercedes-Benz A-Class Offers Style To Match Its Prestige

The premium compact segment is increasingly competitive, and the all-new 2013 Mercedes-Benz A-Class, which has made its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show, is surely one of the leading candidates to steal sales from the BMW 1-Series, Audi A3 and Lexus CT 200h when it arrives towards the end of 2012. While the current A-Class looks awkward from most angles, the upcoming A-Class, based upon the versatile Mercedes MFA platform, comes with neat proportions and a particularly handsome front end with a striking grille.

As it turns out, the five-door hatchback is more than just dynamic good looks, boasting a slippery body with an impressively low 0.26 drag coefficient. Moving from a one-box to two-box body profile, and having a lower roofline than its predecessor, the all-new A-Class is claimed to possess more space and higher quality than before. While neither can be confirmed at this time, the carbon fibre-look dashboard, SLS AMG-inspired circular air vents and “silver chrome” accents all combine to give the cabin an upscale appearance.

A revised range of petrol and diesel engines will be available with the A-Class: 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre petrol units with outputs of 115 HP in the A180, 156 HP in the A200 and 211 HP in the A250; 1.8-litre and 2.2-litre turbodiesel units with 109 HP in the A180 CDI, 136 HP in the A200 CDI and 170 HP in the A220 CDI. Turbocharging, direct injection and start-stop functionality are standard on all engines, which are mated to a six-speed manual gearbox or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, one capable of squeezing out nine percent better fuel economy than the CVT gearbox it replaces. Enjoy the 2013 Mercedes-Benz A-Class live photo gallery below!