The current version of the Mercedes A-Class has been on sale since 2018 and planning is well underway for a new version of the car. The fifth-generation will see the car go electric for the first time.
Mercedes has confirmed that it’s working on the new car, but technical details such as battery size, range, pricing and what the car’s performance will be like have not yet been announced.
The new A-Class is expected to arrive in 2028 and will share its engineering with this year’s European Car of the Year, the CLA, as well as the impressive new GLA. No pressure then.
Last updated – September 2026: Mercedes has confirmed that a new-generation A-Class is in development. Here's everything we know so far.
New Mercedes A-Class at a glance
Launch: 2028
Power: Electric and hybrid
Platform: Mercedes MMA
Body style: Five-door hatchback
Electric range: TBC
Battery: TBC
Price: TBC
UK on-sale date: TBC
When will the new Mercedes A-Class be launched?
We’re still a long way off from seeing the new A-Class, but given the mooted 2028 launch date, we could get a first glimpse of the new hatchback as early as the Munich motor show in September 2027.
Will the new Mercedes A-Class be electric?
Mercedes has moved away from having a parallel range of EQ-badged electric models and has started folding its zero emission efforts back into its main range.
Take the new GLA Electric SUV for instance, which was recently revealed. That car draws the eye with its electric powertrain but there’s still a hybrid set-up available for people who aren’t quite ready to take the plunge.
What will happen to the current Mercedes EQA?
It looks like the EQA is just going to fizzle out after a single generation – which is fine really, because no one liked it that much, even if it did feel swanky inside.
What will the new Mercedes A-Class look like?
If we look at the GLA and CLA cars – the junior models in the Mercedes SUV and coupe ranges respectively – we can get a rough idea of what the new A-Class will look like.
From what we’ve heard so far the hatchback style is staying, but the car will get the huge light-up grille and LED monobrow that has become a Mercedes signature.
And of course inside the new A-Class will be positively festooned with touchscreen tech, as much as Mercedes can cram in.
What platform will the new A-Class use?
The new A-Class Electric will use the nifty little MMA platform that underpins the CLA, GLA and GLB – rather than shoehorning in batteries after the fact, this platform has been designed for electric first and can then be used for hybrid petrol setups. Much better that way round.
We’ve not driven the new GLA yet, but we love the CLA – it feels light and efficient in a way that recent electric Mercedes have not, so that bodes well for the A-Class.
Mercedes A-Class Electric range and battery
Just a reminder that we have no information about this yet, this is merely educated guesswork at the moment.
The new GLA gets 58kWh and 85kWh battery options, while the CLA shakes it up with 58kWh and 85kWh battery options. Would it be too outrageous to suggest that the new A-Class might get 58kWh and 85kWh battery options?
Certainly the 58kWh setup would seem reasonable, but there is also a new mid-range 71kWh NMC battery headed for the GLA in the next few months that’s another potential candidate. Although somewhat bizarrely, it seems to be the 85kWh battery but with a software limit.
How much will the new Mercedes A-Class cost?
Another trick question – it’s very early to start thinking about prices, especially with all the inflation we’re due between now and 2028.
But the current petrol A-Class range starts from around £30k and the electric EQA range starts around £45k – a chasm that will need bridging, especially seeing as the CLA starts at £45k too. It’ll cost you £37k to get into a plug-in hybrid A-Class at the moment.
It’s not hard to imagine a slightly bigger, slightly more sophisticated version of the A-Class going on sale with a hybrid petrol model starting proceedings around £32k and an electric version costing from £36k.
The new A-Class Electric will have to be fairly keenly price to face up to its potential competition, which brings us neatly to…
New Mercedes A-Class: rivals
The £32k Audi A2 e-tron is the most obvious candidate, and if we accept the A2 then obviously the Volkswagen ID.3 and Cupra Born are going to be rivals of sorts, given that they’re based on the same underpinnings.
New Mercedes A-Class versus Audi A2 is a grudge match we’re looking forward to seeing though.
Otherwise, A-Class Electric buyers are obviously going to be looking at whatever the future electric 1-Series is whenever that arrives – possibly also in 2028.
Looking further afield, the Renault Megane E-Tech and Volvo EX30 will also be on your longlist if you’re in the market, but we might even see a new Megane by 2028/2029. Volvo hasn't let slip any plans for a new EX30 yet.
What’s the difference between the A-Class and the CLA?
Well, aside from the obvious – the CLA being a coupe and the A-Class a hatchback – they share a name because of their relatively diminutive sizes in relation to the rest of the Mercedes range, but are otherwise pointed at different parts of the market.
The CLA has a bigger boot thanks to its sleek coupe-style elongated form, but the more upright A-Class will offer more practical loading and unloading, plus there will be plenty more headroom in the back thanks to the more sensible roofline.
