I-Spy: Mercedes-Benz A-Class out in the snow

Mercedes's response to BMW's 1 Series and Audi's A3 revealed.

The new Mercedes A-Class.

This is the new, 2012 Mercedes A-Class, spied out on the road. We've previously seen a three-door A-Class concept, which debuted at the Shanghai motor show last year, and this five-door prototype is showing a similar body design. The overall shape of this next-generation A-Class is looking very like the BMW 1 Series and very different from the current MPV-style A-Class, as well as what we've seen of the upcoming new B-Class, too. It seems that Mercedes-Benz is setting up the new A-Class as a direct competitor to the BMW 1 Series and the Audi A3 in a way that it never was before; it will be the next-generation B-Class that will be offering an SUV variant to go up against the very successful BMW X1 and all-new Audi Q3.