Autos

Mercedes-Benz A Class

Where sold: Europe, Japan
Starting price: $24,405 (est.)

The A-Class is a much, much (much) smaller version of the same people-mover concept as the Mercedes-Benz R-Class. If that doesn’t sound familiar, well, the R-Class is hardly a household word. Its U.S. sales were only 9,917 year-to-date through September, down 30% from the year-ago period. That’s pretty terrible for a model that debuted only two years ago. The 10-year-old A-Class has never been offered in the U.S. market because of its small size, odd styling, and tiny base engine, an 82-hp diesel. To be fair, the A-Class does have decent room inside for the two people in front, and the top model has 193 hp. A “special edition” A Class is on sale in Europe this year, a sure sign that the present generation is about to be replaced.