Staying close to the stunning design of the Concept A-Class seen at the Shanghai motor show last year, the new car apparently sits 18cm closer to the ground than its dowdy predecessor. That bold face and sweeping lines lend it a very aggressive, coupe-ish feel, and Merc has promised us a "high-quality" interior to match.

The new A-Class will get two petrol engines - a 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre - producing 115bhp, 156bhp and 211bhp, the latter badged as A 250. The 1.6-litre four-pot will also debut Merc's new ‘Camtronic' system, which adjusts the valve lift on the intake side to restrict the amount of fresh mixture used under partial load.
The diesel engines come in the shape of the A 180 producing 109bhp, the A 200 with 136bhp and the 2.2-litre A 220 with 170bhp and 258lb ft of torque. All engines come with start/stop as standard, and you can opt for a six-speed manual or Merc's 7G-DCT dual-clutch auto.

More details and trim levels to follow closer to its launch date, but here's one more thing to nibble on.