“Mercedes is keeping touch with reality instead of trying to alter it,” remarked Edmunds Insights Director Ivan Drury. “The past year has shown that you can only fly so high before you become out of touch. Entry-level vehicles allow consumers to get a taste of what is to come – if they can afford to stay within the brand’s family.”
If global economic constraints increase in intensity, perhaps the A-Class could make a comeback someday, but as it stands, Mercedes is cautiously looking to maintain balance. EVs will still continue to arrive, and some, like the production version of the Concept CLA Class, may even be relatively affordable, but the automaker will surely return to a focus on higher-profit vehicles as soon as possible.
When that may be remains to be seen, but in the meantime, we look forward to seeing which automaker will be the next to announce a change in strategy for the US market. We’ll take bets in the comments.
