The Mercedes-Benz A-Class sedan will be discontinued after the 2022 model year, the German automaker – which is one Cadillac’s principal rivals – has confirmed.
The subcompact luxury sedan was first introduced to the U.S. market as a 2019 model year vehicle with the goal of providing an affordable entry-level offering to draw in a younger customer base. However, waning interest in passenger cars in favor of crossovers prompted MBZ to discontinue the A-Class.
Sales of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class peaked in 2019, with 17,641 individual units sold. Only 8,108 units were sold in 2021, representing a 47 percent decrease year-over-year. The A-Class carries a starting price tag of $32,800 in the United States.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |||
| 2023 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 164 |
| 2022 | 375 | 375 | 375 | 968 | 968 | 968 | 471 | 471 | 471 | 129 | 129 | 129 | 5,832 |
| 2021 | 1,096 | 1,096 | 1,096 | 875 | 875 | 875 | 323 | 323 | 323 | 409 | 409 | 409 | 8,108 |
| 2020 | 1,232 | 1,232 | 1,232 | 1,368 | 1,368 | 1,368 | 1,310 | 1,310 | 1,310 | 1,200 | 1,200 | 1,200 | 15,332 |
| 2019 | 890 | 804 | 1,421 | 2,015 | 2,619 | 2,308 | 2,303 | 1,491 | 1,544 | 1,166 | 16,561 |
The A-Class launched during a time when the market was already undergoing the shift from sedans to utility vehicles, so it was a challenger to the ongoing market shift from the very beginning.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 578 | 578 | 578 | 589 | 589 | 589 | 466 | 466 | 466 | 4,900 | |||
| 2023 | 904 | 904 | 904 | 908 | 908 | 908 | 634 | 634 | 634 | 602 | 602 | 602 | 9,144 |
| 2022 | 631 | 631 | 631 | 872 | 872 | 872 | 860 | 860 | 860 | 727 | 727 | 727 | 9,271 |
| 2021 | 876 | 876 | 876 | 768 | 768 | 768 | 309 | 309 | 309 | 465 | 465 | 465 | 7,253 |
| 2020 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 197 | 197 | 197 | 512 | 512 | 512 | 907 | 907 | 907 | 4,889 |
Part of the decision to discontinue the A-Class can be attributed to trimming down the Mercedes-Benz product portfolio in the United States. The German automaker currently offers 15 models with more than 100 variants combined when counting engine and trim level combinations. With that in mind, it’s difficult for dealerships to stock everything.
Currently, the A-Class competes in the subcompact luxury sedan segment, and is a direct rival to the Cadillac CT4. When it is discontinued, that means the CT4 will have one less competitor. However, the bracket is still stuffed with other formidable rivals – the Audi A3, BMW 2-Series Gran Coupe, and Acura ILX.
In fact, Mercedes-Benz will still have an entry in the subcompact luxury sedan segment with the CLA-Class, a more sporty-looking version of the A-Class. In fact, the A-Class and CLA-Class are the same model with different bodies, with the A-Class having a more traditional sedan appearance to the “coupe-like sedan” proportions of the CLA-Class.
| MODEL | YTD 21 / YTD 20 | YTD 21 | YTD 20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACURA ILX | +3.62% | 13,900 | 13,414 |
| MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS | -47.12% | 8,108 | 15,332 |
| CADILLAC CT4 | +48.35% | 7,253 | 4,889 |
| MERCEDES-BENZ CLA-CLASS | -37.96% | 6,822 | 10,997 |
| AUDI A3 | -75.95% | 2,390 | 9,937 |
| TOTAL | -29.50% | 38,473 | 54,569 |
In 2021, the A-Class managed to outsell the Cadillac CT4 by almost 1,000 individual units, despite a 47 percent decrease in sales. However, it’s worth noting that production of the CT4 was idled for much of 2021, resulting in extremely limited inventory at the dealer level. Production of the CT4 resumed in October 2021 for the 2022 model year.
Lastly, we should note that the A-Class and CLA-Class ride atop of a transverse-engined architecture, with front-wheel-drive being standard and AWD being available as an option. By comparison, the CT4 is the only model in its class to ride on a more balanced rear-drive architecture with a longitudinal powertrain orientation, with AWD also being available as an option.
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