By Marcus SlaterMBWorld Mercedes was caught playing in the snow with updated models for their A and GL class model lines. The both cars were wearing black cladding that covered up most of the interesting bits, but we can still speculate.

The auto blogging world has been well-informed about the cars that will be produced and released this year. The ML and the C-Class AMGs has been announced and everyone were sure that there will be more Mercedes cars in the AMG version. And the assumptions were proved to be true when the A25 AMG was

The Mercedes-Benz A-Class Hatchback is seen as a BMW 1 series and Audi 3 competitor. The compact family car maintains the narrow glasshouse and front screen and A-pillar, although the roof line is almost like a coupe and it totally removed the box-style from the previous Mercedes A-Class models. Under the hood, the new A-Class

According to Mercedes’ design director, Gorden Wagener, the Vision A concept car is identical to the production version of the new A-Class that will be launched next year. Apart from the fact the the production car will be a five door, other difference will be in changes to the window line, headlights and grille. Otherwise,

Mercedes has revealed its version of the hot hatch in the form of the new A-Class that has been massaged by the company’s in-house performance arm, AMG. This concept A-Class was shown at a preview event just before the start of the Shanghai Auto Show and is being touted as another step towards capturing an

The Mercedes-Benz Concept-A Class is truly a sight to behold in both Shanghai and New York auto shows. But what’s even greater is the fact that the German manufacturer plans to sell it in the US. Yes, the guys at Car and Driver were able to ambush bosses of the Stuttgart-based company to get their

The latest Concept A-Class from Mercedes-Benz is the clearest indication yet as to what the automaker’s next-generation A-Class will look like, and the good news is that the production version of this one is likely to hit U.S. shores.

Revealed today at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show, and again soon at the 2011 New York Auto Show in just a few days, the Concept A-Class precedes the production version expected to go on sale in Europe towards the end of next year. Importantly, the concept’s unveiling in New York hints strongly at a possible local launch.

As can clearly be seen, designers have ditched the current model’s tallish van-like shape and gone with a more traditional, albeit highly stylized, hatchback design.

Special features of the Concept A-Class include a radar-based collision warning system with visual and acoustic notification for the driver, adaptive brakes, LED headlights, fiber-optic daytime running lights and an integrated smartphone that can be controlled by the car’s COMAND rotary knob located on the dash.

Under the hood sits a ‘BlueEfficiency’ turbocharged four-cylinder engine displacing just 2.0-liters but developing a healthy 210 horsepower thanks to the forced induction technology as well as direct injection. The BlueEfficiency tag indicates that this powerplant is one of the greenest in Mercedes’ engine lineup. However, also helping to save fuel and sending drive to the front wheels is a lightweight and compact dual clutch transmission.

Another big departure for the new A-Class model is the introduction of several variants in addition to the previewed hatchback. Instead of having separate A- and B-Class models, Mercedes-Benz is thought to be releasing a family of entry-level models including a familiar minivan model, coupe-like sedan, compact SUV and possibly even a sporty roadster. Hybrid and all-electric versions are also expected to get the tick of approval.

The cars will be built on a new front-wheel drive platform codenamed MFA (Mercedes Frontwheel Architecture), which drops the former sandwich construction for a more conventional car-like design. The main reason Mercedes-Benz is increasing the number of fuel-efficient compact models it sells is not only to help its bottom line but also to reduce its fleet-average emissions. 

Look forward to live shots of the 2011 Mercedes-Benz Concept A-Class direct from the 2011 New York Auto Show floor in just a couple of days. 

This story originally appeared at Motor Authori