Mercedes hatchback coming to Canada
SMALL AND QUICK: A-Class becomes the most affordable car in the Mercedes-Benz lineup in North America
Mercedes-Benz’s A-Class hatchback will finally be coming to Canada after being sold abroad for decades, the automaker said earlier this month.
It will join the new A-Class sedan, which is set to make its debut in the U.S. this fall and hit the Canadian market at an undisclosed date.
For many years, Mercedes-Benz actively avoided selling its cheaper models in North America, where the brand situated itself as a luxury manufacturer. This year’s introduction of the entry-level A-Class comes on the heels of it releasing the popular CLA and GLA here, and will make the model the cheapest Mercedes you can buy in Canada.
Option boxes on the A-Class order form include FWD or AWD via the 4Matic model, but the sole engine option is a 221-horsepower 2.0-litre in-line four cylinder that makes a respectable 258 pound-feet of torque. That makes the A 250 downright quick, jogging to 100 km/h in just 6.2 seconds.
The underpinnings of the A-Class are, like most in the compact-hatch segment, simple, with McPherson-strut front suspension and what Mercedes calls “a sophisticated
four-link” rear suspension, which could be a fancy name for a semi-independent beam rear axle.
Inside, the A-Class eschews traditional gauges for one huge screen that runs from the left side of the
dash nearly to the passenger seat. The screen is not integrated into the dashboard and instead stands proudly apart from it by several inches. On that screen you’ll find the new Mercedes-Benz User eXperience
(MBUX) operating system, of which Mercedes is very proud. The system has Apple Car Play, and Android Auto.
Sprucing up the interior is a standard panoramic glass sunroof, and
in hatchback form, it can fit 370 L of luggage behind the rear seats.
Pricing and availability haven’t been announced yet, but Mercedes says it will have more information on the car later this year.