2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class

We've been chasing around the next generation of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class ever since the German firm previewed the series with a three-door concept model at both the New York and Shanghai auto shows last April, but now at last, we can bring you the first official photos, courtesy of a Spanish forum. As indicated by the patent designs we showed you almost a year ago, the styling of the production version of the A-Class is very close to the original concept and marks a departure from the two previous generation MPV-like models as Mercedes went for a traditional hatchback design.
A sportier looking three-door hatch will follow the five-door variant seen in these pictures while the series will also form the base for a 'mini' CLS sports sedan.
At launch, we expect the A-Class to be available with the same 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline four-pot in 122HP and 156HP guises, and a 1.8-liter common rail turbodiesel with 109HP and 136HP, offered in the B-Class, but we'll know more after its presentation at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show tomorrow, so stay tuned…

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2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class Five-Door Hatchback

A bicyclist –no, we didn't make a mistake- captured footage of the all-new 2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class hatchback while riding with his team from El Golfo to Playa Blanca on the Spanish island of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. It seems that the German premium carmaker was at the island to shoot video and pictures of the luxury compact model for its press material.
The A-Class seen here is the five-door hatchback model, which will be the first body style to be launched onto the market. Mercedes has already confirmed that the 5-door version will make its world premiere at the 2012 Geneva Auto Show in early March. A sportier looking three-door model will follow, possibly withing the next year.
It is evident from the design of the front bumper with the stretched out side pockets, the large alloy wheels and the side skirts that the A-Class seen here is either the rumored A25 AMG or the regular model fitted with an AMG sports package. Whichever it is, we must admit that it looks pretty snazzy - especially when compared with its main rival, the BMW 1-Series.
Mercedes-Benz has kept a tight lid on the AMG version of the A-Class but sources claim that it will feature all-wheel drive with power coming from a high-performance four-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine producing up to 300HP.

2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class Hatch, Launches New Interactive App

Like many other carmakers lately, Mercedes-Benz is preparing consumers for a new model debut through a dedicated app for smart phones. In the German firm's case, the new model is the upcoming 2012 A-Class premium hatchback, which will make its global premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in March. To make things a bit more interesting, we learn that Mercedes will put several camouflaged 2012 A-Class hatchbacks in circulation in various German cities as part of a competition that will see one contestant winning a trip to the car's unveiling in Geneva.
The A-Class prototypes will be fitted with a Quick Response (QR) code that interacts with a downloadable app from the Apple App Store or the Android Market. Entrants will have to use their phones to scan a badge from the QR codes in order to participate.
The app will be available for download in February. In the meantime, head over the break to watch the teaser video on the competition.

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