The A-Class was a case of third time lucky for Mercedes – at least in terms of making a profit.
The groundbreaking first-gen A-Class was safe and extremely space-efficient. We called it “easily the most innovative front-wheel-drive car since the Mini”, yet frumpy styling played a role in it becoming a €2.5 billion failure. Merc’s second effort addressed notorious handling quirks but was no less ungainly.