Recently, Mercedes has not yet shown the complete A-Class, after all, but its interior. Normally, we would rather less interested, but somehow the pictures have fascinated.
It is now less about the “great” terms that Gordon and the marketing department have come up with, but more about: change, aspiration and platforms. Now one after the other. Here you can see the interior of the next generation of the smallest Mercedes - apparently in a neon yellow edition.
Exciting, sure. A cheerful play of colors, not least thanks to the turquoise blue lighting of the ambience. One also recognizes: two 10,25 inch screens from the S-Class, steering wheel from the S-Class (Tip to Stuttgart: maybe they can also mount a second steering wheel soon, then they would accommodate even more buttons!), Not to forget: air vents from E-Class Coupé and Cabriolet. However, whether the width of the new A-Class in the middle of an exhaust has less space.
These pictures show it impressively. Below a new S560e and about a convertible of the current E-Class. What we find interesting about it: it is at the presentation of the new cockpit to an A-class. And at the first glance you have to look one, second, third, maybe even the fourth time, if you are not sitting in an S or E model. It used to be different.
In the past, ie 1998 and thus less than twenty years ago, one could clearly see the ranking in Stuttgart. Solid luxury with plenty of wood and fine leather in the S-Class, combined with state-of-the-art technology for instrumentation and elite things like GPS navigation. Ventilated massage seats were also things that were only in the car upper house by significantly six-digit sums received.
In contrast, the A-Class. A wonderful Playmobil landscape made of hard plastic and bright colors. The seat covers came directly from the bus department and also served on the local school bus lines. Practical, inexpensive, washable - that's how the interior of the first A-Class can be honestly described. Unfortunately, we can no longer remember the design department's statements during the press launch twenty years ago. Perhaps this is also due to the fact that the A-Class had problems other than design criticisms at the market launch.
The parentage and the natural sorting in the Mercedes food chain was recognizable at first glance. Which is not so bad when it comes to convincing the customer of the next larger model and correspondingly larger margin. Of course, a new A-Class only looks like in the first photo after a lot of gymnastics through the options list - which then pushes the margin in the right direction again, but you will understand what idea we are dealing with here.
Therefore we ask here the question: "When is platform, too much platform?"
Should platforms only be shared within a series?
Is it all right if the entry-level series shares the most expensive controls with the most important control and display elements (that is, what you see, spin and push when using the car as a driver)?
Here is a small design evolution that reminds us that a good design does not age. What, if one evaluates the rough jumps in the style of the Stuttgart, can not be considered as an award for the design of Mercedes-Benz.
