I Really Hope Mercedes Brings The AMG Models When The 2018 A-Class Comes To America

The new 2018 Mercedes A-Class, which is finally coming to America, is getting nice-ified with things like an upgraded suspension, according to Autocar. More importantly, it will also be available in two performance models, the AMG A35 and the AMGA 45. And while it's not totally clear if those models are are also coming to the U.S., I'm hoping so.

The A-Class will make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March, before heading to market in the U.S. in the fall. A-Class is Mercedes-Benz's smallest car and, when it finally goes to market in the U.S., will probably be its cheapest here, with base prices estimated to be just south of $30,000. (Or at least, that'll be the advertised price; expect actual examples to be higher with options on dealer lots.)

We expect the A-Class will eventually replace the CLA sedan in the U.S. lineup, though that hasn't been confirmed. And the AMG CLA45 has an absurd 2.0-liter turbo four with 375 horsepower, so we can hope the fast A-Class does something fun too.

While the interior is already looking pretty fly, Autocar reports that buyers will also have their choice between two different suspension sets.

Both sets will use the same MacPherson strut set-up at the front, although they differ radically at the rear, with lower-end models set to run a newly developed torsion beam arrangement while high-end models will sport a revised version of the multi-link suspension first seen on the outgoing third-generation A-class.

A few other things that will be better in the 2018? Visibility, for one, thanks to thinner pillars. Mercedes also tweaked the steering.

The new A-Class's electro-mechanical steering continues to offer a fixed ratio or variable ratio depending on the chosen model, but the car maker has made some changes, including a repositioning of the rack so it now sits further back in the chassis. [Mercedes' compact testing chief Johann Eck] said: "It is still quite light in overall weighting and fairly direct in comparison to the competition, but there's definitely more feedback and communication than before. I think enthusiast drivers will like it. There's more on-centre precision, but it doesn't come at the expense of off-centre sharpness."

Details on the performance models were much thinner, though Autocar says that Mercedes will produce five gas variants and four diesel variants, in addition to the performance models. The A-Class coming to the U.S. will be a sedan—a first for the entry level series sold for two decades in other markets.

Asked about whether the performance versions would also come, a Mercedes spokesman said, simply, that it was "too early to provide any details." I can only dream for now.