Mercedes has unveiled the Aesthetics A sculpture, which has been created to show the new styling treatment to be adopted by up to eight new models from the German carmaker within the next three years. The new models include replacements for today’s A-class and B-class as well as successors to the CLA, CLA Shooting Brake and the recently-facelifted GLA.

Eschewing the heavily sculptured styling treatment and prominent crease lines of today’s models, the next-generation of Mercedes compact cars will adopt a much smoother appearance with largely unadorned surfacing and fuller forms.

The new look is described as a development of Mercedes’ existing 'Sensual Purity' design lineage and marks the first time it has been applied to models featuring transverse engines.

Although it doesn’t go quite so far as the new Mercedes-Benz E-class Coupé in the reduction of side feature lines, the new design lineage marks a significant departure from the extreme side feature lines of current Mercedes models. The only line remaining is one running the full length of the flanks, forming a hard shoulder that has been conceived to stretch the vehicle visually.

Despite the change in philosophy, Mercedes’ chief design officer Gorden Wagener says the new line-up will continue to reflect a rear-wheel-drive optic, despite being offered in front and four-wheel drive guises.

As well as hinting at the form language of surfacing treatment of the new A-class and its siblings, the Aesthetics A sculpture also reveals the so-called Panamericana grille treatment, with its vertical slats, to be adopted by AMG versions of the compact car line-up.

The sculpture also hints at a new four-door saloon model hinted to by company chairman Dieter Zetsche at the Detroit motor show earlier this month. Based on a heavily updated version of Mercedes’ MFA platform, the new A-class saloon is one of three new compact models to be added to Mercedes’ international line-up as a rival to the likes of the Audi A3 saloon and new BMW 1 Series saloon.

Other new MFA-based models include a compact SUV which is planned to share the same wheelbase as the B-class and sit above the next-generation GLA as direct competitor to the Audi Q3 and BMW X1.