Mercedes A-Class spied without camouflage

Unlike previous spy shots of the new Mercedes A-Class, this prototype is completely free of camouflage. That said, the body shell is completely painted in the typical orange shade of crash test vehicles.

With the possible exception of a handful of cars, almost all new cars launched in Europe in the past years are larger than their predecessors. This holds true for the A-Class as well, which will be noticeably wider than the outgoing W176 model launched in 2012.

The car doesn't appear to be much longer, but it should be roomier thanks to all the engineering work that's going into the new MFA platform. By moving the engines slightly or placing the seats lower down in the car, Mercedes will be able to create more headroom. Also, the boot should have a larger capacity with a wider opening.

Mercedes flaunted a huge development budget for its next-gen powertrains, which could result in a brand new 2-litre turbo diesel finding its way under the hood of the new A-Class. A plug-in hybrid version of the A-Class is reportedly under development, though it hasn't been seen yet.

Mercedes is expected to showcase the new A-Class at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2018 before it rolls into showrooms worldwide. As for the A45 AMG, nobody has seen it yet, but there's a hot hatch model parading around Germany. The "A40" is expected to take on the Golf R with about 300bhp.