Mercedes-Benz teases its upcoming 'Aesthetics' A-Class sedan

German car maker Mercedes-Benz has revealed some details for its upcoming update of the A-class. The upcoming A-class was teased in an image which shows the car under wraps. Looking at the lines, the 4-door sedan seems to come with a mean look and will be one of the eight new compact models coming from the automaker in the next three years. Mercedes Chairman Dieter Zetsche confirmed the new 4-door A-Class compact at the Detroit auto show which is based on a heavily updated version of Mercedes’ Modular Front Architecture (MFA). It will compete with the Audi A3 and BMW 1-Series sedans. “Form and body are what remain when creases and lines are reduced to the extreme. We have the courage to apply this purism. In combination with sensual surface design, the upcoming generation of the compact class has the potential to herald a new design era,” says Mercedes chief design officer Gorden Wagener. The ‘Aesthetics A’ is said to mark a significant departure from the current generation of compact models, which are visually characterised by their extreme side feature lines. However the only side line remaining runs the full length of the flanks and forms a shoulder that Wagener says visually stretches the vehicle. He also says that the future compact car line will continue to reflect what he calls “a rear-wheel-drive optic” despite being front- and all-wheel-drive cars. The concept also reveals the vertical-slat Panamericana grille treatment expected to appear on AMG versions of the compact cars.