Electricity can wait: Mercedes will continue to produce the cheapest gasoline car

The A-Class series of compact petrol cars was supposed to retire in 2024, but Mercedes has extended the life cycle of the line until 2026. The reason is trivial - there is no replacement from the fleet of electric cars of the German brand that is adequate in terms of cost.


Not so long ago, representatives of Mercedes were too positive about the growing prevalence of electrified cars in Europe. They believed that by 2025, both hybrids and pure EVs would account for 50% of global sales.


Today it is obvious that such growth rates are an overly optimistic assessment of leading Mercedes officials. In this regard, they set a new goal, namely to achieve at least 21% of the brand's shipments in the world.

The Germans had to face the harsh reality and realize that the German auto brand would not be able to “push” its most affordable gasoline car. At least not in 2024.

Today, the Mercedes A-Class is a kind of starting point into the world of premium German cars. It can be purchased on the German domestic market at a price of 37401 euros. At the current exchange rate, this is about 3,7 million rubles.

Previously, in February 2024, the Mercedes CEO was forced to reveal that price match between the brand's gasoline and electric vehicles could be a few years away.

Today, the company's engineers, designers and marketers are actively working on developing a new line of compact class cars. All of them will obviously get gasoline engines.


In particular, the CLA, CLA Shooting Brake, GLA and GLB models will be replaced by cars that are based on the new MMA platform, which was created relatively recently. One of the advantages of this base is its versatility. It is suitable for both EV and ICE cars.

There is no official confirmation yet whether cars such as the A-Class sedan and hatchback, as well as the minivan, which belongs to the B-Class, will receive their updates.

Representatives of the German brand believe that the previously expected 50% of the total number of cars on the market is a figure achievable no earlier than 2030. As you can see, the assessment is no longer as optimistic as it was just a couple of years ago.