Mercedes-Benz Concept A Sedan Previews Sleek New Design Direction

While we already knew that Mercedes would showcase the new facelifted S-Class luxury sedan at this week's Shanghai Auto Show, it turns out the German manufacturer had a surprise in store with a new concept car previewing the sleek future design direction we can expect to see in the next generation of Mercedes compact cars. Called the Mercedes-Benz Concept A Sedan, the attractive design is a dramatic departure from the current A-Class and B-Class, but does share similarities with the current CLA-class.

Our Concept A Sedan shows, that the time of creases is over", say Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer Daimler AG. "With its perfect proportions and a sensual treatment of surfaces with reduced lines, it is the next milestone of Sensual Purity and has the potential to introduce a new design era." The Mercedes Concept A Sedan adopts a clean coupe-style shape featuring short overhangs at the front and rear, but retains the characteristics of a three-box sedan with a relatively vertical C-pillar, larger side windows and a higher beltline. At the front, the Concept A Sedan incorporates AMG's traditional Panamericana grille featuring vertical chrome inserts.

Muscular wheel arches house the exclusive 20-inch alloys, and the grid structure of the distinctive headlights is coated with an UV paint that glows in different colors depending on the light they are exposed to – during the day, the running lights are white, for example. This unique lighting technology has also been applied to the rear taillights. Elsewhere, the rear bumper gives the concept a premium look, featuring a "diffuser-look lower part" trimmed in black and a chrome strip, along with integrated exhaust deflectors finished in dark chrome. Other design features include dark privacy windows and a large panoramic glass roof.