A-Class is smaller than anything Mercedes has done

First of all, the Concept A-Class is smaller than anything Mercedes has dared bring to these shores. Even more amazing, it's edgy, aggressive and different -- as far from the big, cushy Mercedes sedan as you'll ever get.

Concept A will debut in two weeks at both the 2011 New York and Shanghai auto shows. It shows how even luxury German automakers are going to be forced to import smaller models than they ever have offered before under tougher government fuel regulations.

Concept A features a new 210-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine, a dual clutch transmission and a radar-based collision warning system with adaptive "brake assist." The headlights of the Concept A-Class have full-LED high-performance headlamps. The daytime running lamps consist of 90 optical fibers
with aluminum sleeves.