By the end of the current year, Mercedes-Benz will be pulling the A-Class sedan from the USA and its hatchback version from Canada, Carscoops reports quoting a local dealership’s official announcement.
Apparently, Mercedes needs to ‘optimize its product offer strategy’. In accordance with it, the GLA compact CUV will become the most affordable Mercedes in the North America. It remains unknown whether the CLA 4-Door Coupe will go the way of the A-Class.
The Mercedes-Benz A-Class arrived in the USA in 2019, Automotive News claims that around 17,600 sedans were sold during its first year on the market, but 2021 saw the number plummet to 8,100 units. To compare, around 26,700 GLB units were sold in the same year.
Aside from the continuing emphasis on crossover SUVs, Mercedes says market oversaturation is another major reason why the A-Class needs to go. Dealership representatives are complaining that customers tend to get lost in the Mercedes nomenclature and often have trouble telling one model from another.