Mercedes A-Class saloon breaks cover in China

Mercedes has taken the wraps off a saloon variant of its A-Class hatchback at the Beijing Motor Show - and it’s set to arrive in the UK early next year.

The new car is the first ever saloon-bodied version of a Mercedes entry-level model. “Huge growth in China, large conquest rates and a younger customer base” have encouraged the German carmaker to expand its compact car range, says Auto Express.

The styling is almost identical to the A-Class hatchback, with the exception of the new car’s sedan-style boot lid below the sloping rear window, the magazine says.

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However, the model unveiled at the Chinese car show is the A-Class L Saloon, which will be sold only in Asian markets, says Autocar. This model has a 60mm longer wheelbase than the version that will be sold in the UK.

Inside, the new A-Class incorporates Mercedes’s latest MBUX infotainment system, comprising a digital display behind the steering wheel and a touchscreen panel above the centre console, says CNet.

CarBuyer reports that the saloon will be powered by the same crop of engines as the hatchback model, with a choice of two petrol motors - with 161bhp or 221bhp outputs - or a 114bhp diesel.

Pricing has yet to be announced, the website says, but the A-Class Saloon is expected to cost “a few thousand pounds more” than the current hatchback variant.

The compact saloon will go on sale in China at the end of the year, before orders open in the UK in early 2019.