[TheHelix0202]

Though I really find the ‘limo’ branding ironic, I think it’s a good idea for the Big 3 to come up with slightly smaller sedans, say, something the size of a Rapid or something. But in all honesty, that will remain just a dream.

Btw, I don’t find the CLA’s alloy design to be bad.

[sunilch]

Originally Posted by Carpainter

This A class looks good and has expected features for the price. So it should sell well and a lucrative option specially to those who want the badge but on a budget. Having said that, pricing of these cars make Octavia and the likes even more value for money. Although pricing of the next gen Octy can go up as well. Looks like holding on to our existing cars longer makes more sense these days.

That is exactly what I was thinking. It looks good and has the badge. But other than that, there is hardly any reason for anyone with a good sense and interest in cars to buy this. I mean Mercedes will sell this in a few numbers initially but otherwise this looks like an A3 from Merc. Why will this do good numbers in sales is beyond my understanding. And if in case this one turns out to be a lot of FTD (after we see people driving it and some reviews coming out) even then I doubt there will be many takers for this. But like they say, any sale is a good sale in for these brands.

[wildsdi5530]

At least this looks OK. Maybe a hint of Maruti Dezire in the shape.
The new Audi A3 recently launched looks like a Rapid/ Vento.

[evo]

I suppose they are playing on the limo words upscale connotation since a lot of buyers will be first time luxury buyers, sort of moving up in life.

It still amazes me how many people think that an A3 is much more comfortable in the back compared to a Honda City just because its more expensive.

[wildsdi5530]

The back space of a Honda city or the erstwhile Manza is bested only when you go up to the E-class/ 5 series/ A6. But guess that is Off-Topic.

[YashD]

For a market like India, this car is going to work.

Reasons beings:-

• A lot of first time premium car buyers opted for GLA and CLA. When it comes to the big three, for a lot of people it's about the name associated and not the overall product. "I drive a Mercedes" tag.
• The CLA did quite well for itself, the A sedan is replacing it. Furthermore, the overall silhouette looks similar to CLA hence a lot of people will assume this to be the next generation CLA for India
• The design is going to work for it. Being a young entrepreneur, I interact with a lot of like minded people who are slowly entering the premium car segments, most of them prefers the design of CLA over the C simply because it looks like a coupe and much more contemporary, also younger. There other alternative is always the 3er due to the performance.
• The no competition or say poor product offering by the other competitors makes it look like an excellent package. Allow me to explain this, a close friend was in the market but with an extremely strict budget. He wanted a new car and it had to be something premium, not from a manufacturer which also sells a car under the 15 Lakh range and well not surprisingly, the German trio were the only option along with V40. The BMW stable had X1, it was due for a facelift hence rejected, additionally, my friend didn't felt the cabin to have that special feeling. The Audi A3 and Q3 (Diesels) even though drove well just didn't felt worth the price to him, lack of equipment, FWD drivetrain and the on paper it had a 7 speed S Tronic gearbox. He is not an enthusiast and was like Merc and BMW offers more advanced Technology
  The V40 was out of the list straight up, cause it's a hatch and his dad didn't wanted his son to buy a hatch after spending nearly 35 Lakhs! Hence, the GLA too infact helped him purchase the CLA due to the design, interior appeal and the sense of airiness further more, the frameless windows were a cherry on top. Now, this thing is not changing anytime soon hence more As on the road.
• The FWD setup, For a normal car buyer, it's good enough. I have heard a few people saying FWDs are cheaper to maintain than RWDs and AWDs.

[akshays]

Are we mistaken, is that the Hyundai Verna in its latest avatar. This lightning in the vents and stuff , wonder why people for for the gimmick. I'm sure it would appeal to the yuppies, the wannabies. At a time like this with the uncertainties around, right time and right product ? Ahem!

[Sathya_sc]

Originally Posted by YashD

[*]The CLA did quite well for itself, the A sedan is replacing it. Furthermore, the overall silhouette looks similar to CLA hence a lot of people will assume this to be the next generation CLA for India [/list]

You stole my words. Infact, Mercedes is playing it smart by not replacing CLA with new Gen CLA which looks BETTER than the A Class sedan. Also if you see the footprint of the A Class Vs New CLA, the CLA is marginally larger and better than the A Class.

Mercedes is just getting greedy here thinking we are oblivion to facts and have no clue what is going on in the International markets.

If they price the A Class below the current CLA levels, its quite OK. If they position it equal to or higher than the current CLA, then this is a case of ripping off unaware buyers or taking advantage of people who buy ONLY for the badge. Quite disappointed with Mercedes India

[YashD]

Originally Posted by Sathya_sc

Mercedes is just getting greedy here thinking we are oblivion to facts and have no clue what is going on in the International markets.
If they price the A Class below the current CLA levels, its quite OK. If they position it equal to or higher than the current CLA, then this is a case of ripping off unaware buyers or taking advantage of people who buy ONLY for the badge. Quite disappointed with Mercedes India

I am not sure about the authenticity of this piece of information but as per what I've heard from a few known contacts closely related to the industry, the reason why Mercedes Benz is not launching the next generation CLA in India is due it's increased cost. As per them it would've atleast cost four - five lakhs more than the existing model. At the current pricing, CLA feels like an overpriced product and a further more hike would've straight up pushed it to the C Class Category making it a ridiculous proposition.

Additionally, what I've heard is the company is planning to launch it at a cheaper introductory price (lesser by approximately 1.7 Lakhs) though I am not aware about the new nomenclature the car is going to feature. I feel it's a fairly decent move by Mercedes Benz. At the end everyone is here to do business, with the ever increasing costs and taxes in India we can't just blame the manufacturers. The government has never supported the Indian Automotive Industry, for them it has always been a cash cow for the economy.

[Sathya_sc]

Originally Posted by YashD

Additionally, what I've heard is the company is planning to launch it at a cheaper introductory price (lesser by approximately 1.7 Lakhs) though I am not aware about the new nomenclature the car is going to feature.

If this is true, then its a reasonable move by Mercedes. Anything equal to CLA or higher price is not a fair move, IMO.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by Sathya_sc

You stole my words. Infact, Mercedes is playing it smart by not replacing CLA with new Gen CLA which looks BETTER than the A Class sedan. Also if you see the footprint of the A Class Vs New CLA, the CLA is marginally larger and better than the A Class.

Mercedes is just getting greedy here thinking we are oblivion to facts and have no clue what is going on in the International markets.

If they price the A Class below the current CLA levels, its quite OK. If they position it equal to or higher than the current CLA, then this is a case of ripping off unaware buyers or taking advantage of people who buy ONLY for the badge. Quite disappointed with Mercedes India

This is kind of jumping the gun.

Internationally the A class limousine has come out before the new CLA in all countries. The A class sedan was unveiled in 2018 and the CLA in mid 2019.

My cousin sister picked up the A class limousine in USA in December 2019 as the CLA was not launched and they only had the older one which is there in India right now. Once the international launches happen, it takes time before the assembly can begin in India, which is why we don't have the new GLA as well.

Moreover she liked the A class more because of its compact size and interior design. The A class sedan replaced her E46 325i. She checked out the new 3 series, CLA and C class. The C-class and 3 series were too big for her and she was surprised by how much the 3 series had grow in size vs her older E46. The A class was similar sized which she was comfortable with.

The A class limousine is based on the same platform as the CLA and there is not a lot of difference between the 2. There is a lot of overlap except for a longer length and more coupe-ish looks with frame less doors in the CLA, the A class is identical.

Infact the A-class has one big improvement over the CLA, rear space mainly headroom. The CLA has no headroom at the back for even average height adults vs the A class limo.

Have a look at this video:

https://youtu.be/nL5l-_9bIVk?t=924

Irrespective of the price of the A class vs CLA, the A class is the more rounded package and the one that will work for India so Mercedes have played incredibly smart.

It's like what Mercedes did with the E class LWB. By bringing the LWB they were able to capture the entire segment which is predominantly chauffeur driven.

Similarly by getting the more practical A class vs the swoopy CLA, they can appeal to a wider audience, entry level family saloon.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Infact the A-class has one big improvement over the CLA, rear space mainly headroom. The CLA has no headroom at the back for even average height adults vs the A class limo.

I agree, The A-class sedan (refuse to call it a limousine) works as a perfect entry level family car from Mercedes. Seen a couple of them here in our apartment complex, and it has good presence and poise. The CLA works for someone who is not bothered much about the rear seat space.

At this moment there is no competition from BMW in this space, and not sure if the A3 sedan will even make it to India.

[abhinav.gupta88]

Is there any news on the A Class Hatchback too?
I have my eyes set on that for a while now and wondering if I should wait for it.

[TusharK]

Rumour: Mercedes A-Class Limousine launch in Q3 2020

According to a media report, Mercedes-Benz is likely to launch the A-Class Limousine in India in the third quarter of this year. Mercedes has already started taking bookings for the new model.



The A-Class Limousine was unveiled at the 2020 Auto Expo. The car is a replacement for the CLA.

The A-Class Limousine is expected to be offered in a single variant called Progressive Line. As per the brochure, it comes with LED headlights, LED daytime running lights and LED tail lights as well as features such as panoramic sunroof, 2-zone automatic climate control, electrically adjustable front seats, wireless charging, cruise control, reversing camera, touchscreen infotainment head-unit with touchpad and digital instrument cluster.

The AMG version gets a different grille, redesigned bumpers, 5-spoke alloy wheels and twin exhausts. On the inside, the car gets a multi-function sports steering wheel in nappa leather, a Burmester audio system and keyless-go.

In India, the A-Class Limousine is expected to be offered with three engine options. The standard model could get petrol and diesel engine options, while the AMG version could get a more powerful petrol engine.

Source

Link to Team-BHP News

[Venkatesh]

Mercedes-Benz A-Class Limousine And GLA To Be Launched In Q4 2020.

Santosh Iyer, Vice President - Sales & Marketing, Mercedes-Benz India said, We are expecting the demand to go up in Q4 and that's by when other new cars will also come in. So as of now we don't have the A-Class or the GLA and all these cars are expected to arrive in Q4 of this year.
In this current COVID situation our volume products are not there, so in 50% of the market we are not there right now so we are looking forward to Q4 much more enthusiastically as that is when the market will come back.

https://www.carandbike.com/news/merc...4-2020-2247836