Mercedes-Benz is preparing a new generation of its A-Class hatchback, with the next version of the brand’s smallest passenger car expected to adopt electric power while remaining in the line-up into the next decade.

The current A-Class has been on sale since 2018 and is due to remain in production until around 2028, after its lifecycle was extended following a shift in manufacturing. Production will move to Mercedes-Benz’s Kecskemét plant in Hungary, freeing up the company’s Rastatt factory in Germany to build the upcoming CLA sedan.

According to comments reported by Auto Express, the move will allow Mercedes to keep the A-Class in production for several more years before launching a new generation based on the company’s latest compact vehicle platform.

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“The current A-Class is going to the Hungary plant next year. The plant can cater to the next generation of A-Class,” Mercedes exterior design director Robert Lesnik told Auto Express.

The new model is expected to be built on the brand’s forthcoming MMA (Mercedes Modular Architecture) platform, which has been designed to support both electric and hybrid drivetrains. The flexible platform will underpin several compact Mercedes vehicles, including the next CLA, CLA Shooting Brake and the GLA and GLB SUVs.

Originally planned as a four-model family, the A-Class is now tipped to become a fifth vehicle in the MMA line-up.

Using the CLA as a reference point, Lesnik suggested the adaptable nature of the architecture will allow Mercedes to adjust its powertrain strategy if needed. “With CLA we had an EV then hybrid, but A-Class is three years away. MMA platform is flexible, which is great because in the future we’ll have to change our minds faster than we do now,” he said, according to Auto Express.

If the electric version proceeds, it would position the next A-Class as a rival to upcoming compact EVs such as the Audi A3 e-tron.

In terms of styling, the next-generation hatch is expected to move away from the upright proportions of the original late-1990s A-Class. Instead, designers are aiming for a more conventional, sporty hatchback profile.

“The next A-Class should have a more stylish cab-back body rather than cab-forward,” Lesnik said in comments reported by Auto Express.

The design direction means the new model is unlikely to adopt the highly aerodynamic silhouette used by the EQE and EQS electric sedans. Instead, it will feature a longer bonnet and more traditional proportions similar to the latest CLA.

Mercedes is also expected to retain the familiar A-Class name rather than adopt the EQ branding used for earlier electric models.