(What’s widely presumed to be) the precursor to the next Mercedes-Benz A-Class sedan has been revealed at the Shanghai Auto Show.

Just like Audi has the A3 Sedan, BMW has the (China-market only) 1 Series Sedan. Now Mercedes-Benz appears to be building its own sedan version of the premium compact car. It does not appear to be a replacement for the CLA, which will continue to be sold when the A-Class sedan reaches production in 2018.

The Concept A is designed to use the same front-drive architecture that the next-gen A-Class will. It also has 4Matic capabilities that point towards aMercedes-AMG 45 model being on the cards to compete with the Audi RS3 Sedan. That model is only expected to arrive in 2019, however.

The design of the Concept A sedan shows the new "smoother" approach to design that Merc will undertake in its next models. Mercedes design boss Gorden Wagener says “the Concept A Saloon shows that the time of creases is over, form and body are what remain when creases and lines are reduced to the extreme. It has the potential to introduce a new design era.”

It will be more spacious and practical than the CLA coupe, and according to Mercedes, this is where a gap in the market exists. China is also particularly fond of the 3-box shape, so that’s reason alone to build it considering that market buys around 1-million cars a month.

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