Mercedes-Benz A-Class
Overview
Mini MPV
Mini MPV is a car classification used to describe superminis or subcompacts which have taller build, fitting below the compact MPV and large MPV classifications....
produced by the German automobile manufacturer Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
. The first generation (W168) was introduced in 1997, and the all-new second generation model (W169) appeared in late 2004. Launched as a five-door hatchback
Hatchback
A Hatchback is a car body style incorporating a shared passenger and cargo volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate—and features such as fold-down rear seats to enable flexibility within the shared passenger/cargo volume. As a two-box...
in 1997, the second generation W169 introduced a three-door hatchback to sit below the five-door. In the markets that the A-Class is or has been sold in, it has represented the entry level model of Mercedes-Benz.
Some consider the creation of the A-Class to have reduced the prestige of the Mercedes-Benz brand, especially in Europe.
Production of the W168 A-Class began in 1997.
