2018 A-Class platform will spawn at least eight variants

The platform underpinning the fourth-generation Mercedes-Benz A-Class will be used for at least eight variants in total, the company’s design chief has revealed.

Mercedes-Benz chief designer, Gorden Wagener, was glowing in his praise of the company’s new front-wheel drive  platform with Australian journalists after the A-Class launch in Amsterdam.

“I can assure you that all variants on this platform, there will be at least eight, will be stunning,” Wagener said.

“The short front overhang, the low front, big wheel size, dash-to-axle [ratio, and] the whole proportion” allowed by the platform are, according to Wagener, crucial for good design.

Already confirmed are the (just-launched) hatch and a sedan, based on the Concept A Sedan, targeted at China and the USA. We’ve also seen photos of the upcoming GLA hatch/crossover, GLB crossover, and CLA four-door ‘coupe’.

That’s five known or confirmed variants so far, leaving three to be speculated about.

Above: Mercedes-Benz Concept A Sedan.

When asked if two-door models are on the drawing board, Wagener merely pointed to the fact that “we have still the biggest amount of dream cars, like convertibles or coupes”.

“Honestly I don’t think a convertible of an A-Class would look good. I would not do that,” Wagener added later.

He also ruled out a convertible based on the CLA four-door ‘coupe’ because “ structure-wise you can never do a four-door car as a convertible, it will simply break”.

Asked about the possibilty of a two-door CLA, Wagener said “a CLA two-door wouldn’t be a CLA, because the CLA is a four-door coupe, right? Remember?”

CarAdvice asked about an A-Class coupe, to which Wagener replied between laughs, “Just keep on guessing”.

Above: Mercedes-Benz E-Class cabriolet.

Other potential body styles we didn’t raise with Wagener, but which are possible, include an A-Class station wagon, a CLA shooting brake wagon, and a stretched A-Class sedan for China.

The A-Class station wagon may find some favour in Europe, but a CLA Shooting Brake seems unlikely given the bigger CLS Shooting Brake hasn’t been carried into the car’s third generation.

It’s also possible a production version of the EQA Concept could be part of Wagener’s eight variants.

What do you body styles do you think Mercedes-Benz will spin off the new A-Class’ platform? Let us know in the comments section below.

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