Latest news with #A-Class
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Don't Cry Because the Mercedes-Benz A-Class Is Dead. Celebrate What Killed It.
While U.S. markets lost the Mercedes A-Class in 2022, the German automaker recently announced it wouldn't renew the A-Class lineup—full stop—after its lifecycle expires in 2026. The move is likely to refocus the brand's portfolio toward more popular vehicles like SUVs and crossovers. To many, the A-Class was just an average five-door hatchback made slightly nicer by the Germans. For car enthusiasts, though, the compact car rapidly evolved into one of the best hot hatchbacks on the market: the A45 AMG. The CLA-Class will now be the entry point into the Mercedes brand. Instead of mourning the loss of the A-Class, let's look at the clever engineering that brought the CLA-class into the modern era. In 2024, Mercedes forecasted EVs would make up 50 percent of its total shipments by 2030. Things have since changed dramatically, as the German automaker is experiencing a much weaker and slower response to EVs from customers. Along with ditching its 'EQ' line of electric vehicles, the brand is sticking to electrifying existing models in its portfolio, starting with the CLA-Class. I'm pleased to report that the new third-generation CLA-Class—likely launching for the 2026 model year—will retain an internal combustion variant. In fact, expect the new lineup to arrive with three powertrain configurations: a 1.5-liter mild hybrid, single-motor electric, and dual-motor electric. Mercedes-Benz ditched the 'electric or bust' approach that many automakers were opting for previously. In covering all the bases, the new third-generation CLA-class will be available with battery electric and hybrid powertrains. It might sound fairly easy to tick that box, but the engineering muscle behind the new CLA would likely tell you otherwise. For context, Mercedes designed a whole new platform from the ground up with the flexibility to accommodate EV and hybrid powertrains. The Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture (MMA) platform features a 'skateboard' layout with affordances for a long and thin battery under the passenger compartment; the full electric version will be available with a single-motor rear-wheel drive configuration (producing 268 horsepower) or a dual-motor all-wheel drive variant with an additional motor at the front adding another 107 hp. Mercedes' claim that the CLA is its cleverest car yet rings true for a lot more than just the electric variant. The MMA architecture will also be able to accept an internal-combustion engine under the hood; the gas-burning spec will feature a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine up front, paired to a 48-volt hybrid system. And you might recognize that Mercedes built a whole new engine from the ground up just for this car. Dreaming up a powerplant that runs a 12:1 compression ratio and can accept 26 pounds of boost, you'd probably think the new CLA could be a bit of a firebreather. Unfortunately, thanks to lambda 1 regulations requiring a constant 1:1 air-fuel ratio, the four-cylinder can only cough up 188 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque. Thankfully, the mild hybrid system can recuperate some of these losses—27 horsepower to be exact. That might not sound like a lot, but the return from many of these hybrid systems is worth more than the sum of their parts; the Mercedes unit provides assistance through all eight gears to give the engine some extra pep. The electric motor is mounted within the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission to seamlessly step in when the internal combustion engine isn't at its best. For context, these mild hybrid systems fill in the gaps between gear changes and are able to muscle through low-speed acceleration. While the third-generation CLA can accommodate piston power up front, Mercedes-Benz mentioned an 'electric-first' approach with its new MMA platform, which will likely need to last well into 2030 and beyond. Customers can expect Mercedes' latest electric vehicle to start at $55,000 and max out around $65,000. It hasn't been confirmed if the CLA EV will qualify for the $7,500 federal tax credit, but all signs point to yes. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Mercedes-AMG A35 2023 UK first drive
Remember straightforward hatchbacks of Tarmac-sniffing stance and turbocharged brawn? It is, I'm sad to say, a sign of the times that these cars now feel a bit of a novelty. Hot hatches are dying out, with most of them now in their final evolutionary stage and quite expensive. Fifty-grand Honda Civic Type R, anyone? Among the stalwarts is the Mercedes-AMG A35, which ticks both boxes. Along with the rest of the A-Class range, it has been refreshed for 2023 before an electric successor arrives a couple of years down the line. The updated version inherits the bulging bonnet of the hardcore A45 as well as that car's grille, while the Mercedes roundel is swapped for one of the Affalterbach firm's. That last element is curious, and I suppose the message is that this is a proper AMG. Is it really? Doubts linger. The most 'accessible' AMG product in history, the A35 has always used a modified version of a mainline A-Class motor rather than something AMG-bespoke, so questions of authenticity are fair game. Equally, the new C63 has only four cylinders where previously you got an earth-shaking V8, so what even is authenticity anyway? With tweaked headlights, a new wheel design and other small changes, the A35 looks sharp enough, although the rear wing is an element the 416bhp A45 only just manages to pull off, so it looks just a bit try-hard on the A35. Fortunately, this dubious aerodynamic addenda comes only with top-ranking (and, at £51,000, conspicuously expensive) Premium Plus trim. Lesser flavours of A35 get a neat spoiler-cum-gurney that reminds me of the original Ford Focus RS. Inside, Mercedes has done away with the touchpad, so the infotainment is now controlled solely via the crisp touchscreen. In general, the interior continues to trade more on superficial swankiness than unimpeachable quality, but it's hospitable enough. And it has a new steering wheel that's far more attractive, the old and absurdly thick multifunction spokes being binned. In dynamic terms, five years on from its introduction, the A35 remains an interesting and inconsistent character. You can sense that in some ways it wants to be a B-road attack dog. It's certainly sprung firmly enough for this kind of driving and maintains its composure well when you really fling it along. At the same time, steering response can be disconcertingly lethargic off-centre, and the seats are neither supportive enough nor nestled low enough to match the tone of intent set by the suspension. So you back things off and try to flow the A35. But then the ride quality sticks out for the wrong reasons. It borders on brittle unless the surface is a delight. The problem is pronounced at the back axle and seems to be related to spring rates, meaning that opting for the softest of the three damper settings isn't much help. An upmarket, all-paw hot hatch needs more versatility than this. And fewer rattles. The A35 also has a bit of road roar problem, but as it already comes on Continental SportContact 6 tyres, I'm not sure there's an obvious fix. Michelins would probably be a touch louder. There was never much wrong with this car's gutsy performance, though, and the adoption of a 48V mild-hybrid system (kerb weight goes up 15kg as a result) is said to offer a 13bhp bump at lower revs, although the headline figure of 302bhp at 5800rpm is unchanged. The facelifted car also gets Mercedes' eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, which, despite its extra ratio, is lighter and more compact than the old seven-speeder. It's wickedly snappy, even if the software can be a little slow to instruct for downshifts. Yet ultimately the A35 isn't really at ease with itself, unfailingly rapid and in some aspects very slick as it is. I suspect ownership may frustrate, and that probably isn't true of the updated BMW M135i. ]]>
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Mercedes-AMG's Monstrously Powerful A 45 Hot Hatch Is Being Discontinued
Mercedes is saying 'auf Wiedershen' to the hottest of hot hatches. The German luxury marque has revealed that its discontinuing the A-Class, three years after it stopped selling the vehicle in the U.S., according to Why is this such a big deal? Because that means the automaker has pulled the plug on its one and only hatchback. More from Robb Report A $65 Million Coastal Ranch Near Santa Barbara Comes With an Abalone Farm A Lavish $23.5 Million French Renaissance Mansion in Dallas Is Fit for Royalty Exclusive Luxury Comes to the Southern Tip of Eleuthera Since its introduction in 1997, the A-Class has been Mercedes's entry-level model. In the car's fourth generation, a sedan model was added to the lineup, but it has mainly been sold as a three- or five-door hatchback. As a true compact, it's often been on the dinkier end of the automotive spectrum, but there have also been several AMG versions over the years. The most recent, the wing-sporting A 45, came with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that made 421 hp, making it the most powerful gas-powered hatchback you could buy. But the A-Class's days as the automaker's entry-level model are now over. Last week, that role was taken over by the new CLA sedan, and this week, Mercedes has confirmed the older model won't make it past this generation. The news comes via chief technology officer, Markus Schäfer, who told Italian magazine Quattroruote that the company will built fewer compacts, which are mainly popular in its home region, to focus on more expensive SUVs, which sell better worldwide. 'We need models that will work around the world, including China and the U.S.,' the executive said. 'I know the hatchback is a favorite in Europe, but it was not part of the plan and we had to make choices, including difficult ones.' Mercedes may be getting out of the hot hatch game, but there are still a couple of attractive options out there for compact enthusiasts—especially if they're willing to go electric. The 641-hp Ioniq 5 N has won plenty of plaudits since debuting in the summer. Renault is also bringing back the legendary 5 Turbo as an all-electric 'mini-supercar' that it claims will make 540 hp. And, for those who crave a more traditional powertrain, there's also the Honda Civic Type R and Toyota GR Corolla. The cars may top out at around 300 hp, but they are both available with a six-speed manual, something which can't be said of their more powerful battery-powered peers. Best of Robb Report The 2024 Chevy C8 Corvette: Everything We Know About the Powerful Mid-Engine Beast The World's Best Superyacht Shipyards The ABCs of Chartering a Yacht Click here to read the full article.
