The first small car from Mercedes Benz India is ready to hit the market soon – and there is already quite a buzz about the vehicle on the internet. Dubbed as the A-class, it is a hot hatchback that will take on cars like the Volkswagen Beetle and the BMW-Mini range.
The design of the A-class is reminiscent of the B-class’ theme, but has some striking elements that should make it popular. First up is the front fascia that has the familiar headlamps – but the daytime running lights are a string of LEDs and not the seamless type that you see on the B-class and the M-class. This design goes very well with the stunning diamond grille that will be standard across the A-class range sold in India. In fact this grille is THE head-turner for the A-class. If you visited the Auto Expo in 2012, you’ll appreciate the fact that Mercedes Benz has carried forward this grille from the A-class Concept that was showcased at the expo.
The side profile has the trademark creases of the new compact cars from Mercedes Benz. But since this car is smaller, the creases look busier – but that goes with the youthful theme of the car. There are also the 17-inch alloys that boast of an all-new, sporty, 10-spoke design. At the top you get an all-black panoramic roof that adds to the car's sporty stance.
The taillights are another good-looking piece of design on the car and their small proportions make them stand out too – considering the rest of the Mercs are full of loaf-like, elongated units. If you think the B-class with its ‘sports-tourer’ dimensions looks too van-like, then this hot-looking hatch could excite you enough. Lets now take a peek at the interiors then!
The A-class could be the smallest Merc out there, but it is a fairly large car. On the inside, the youthful theme continues with a sporty all-black colour scheme, contrasting instrumentation with the red illumination, an AMG-design three-spoke steering wheel and paddle-shifters. You also get the SLS AMG inspired air-con vents – five of them like the B-class! The layout of the centre console is exactly similar to that of the B-class too.
The high-resolution display for new COMAND infotainment system looks better integrated in the A than the B, thanks to its floating design. Mercedes Benz claims that this system will have improved iPhone integration and will be more feature-rich than its successors.
Like the B-class, only the driver's seat of the Indian-spec A-class has electrically controlled adjustments. The front seats have integrated headrests – which is a downer. The design looks very sportscar-like nevertheless and we like the leather and fabric combo for the upholstery. At the back, there is adequate knee room and headroom for the car's hatchback form factor. We'll have to wait for a complete road test to comment on the comfort levels though.
Behind the diamond grille of the A-class will be two engine options to choose from – a 1.6-litre petrol engine that puts out 122PS of power and 200Nm of torque and a 1.6-litre diesel engine that produces 109 PS of power and 250 Nm of torque. The engines will be mated a 7-speed dual clutch transmission that feeds the power and torque to the front wheel drive system. While we haven't been given the official fuel economy figure for the petrol engined A-class, we are told that the A-class A180 CDI diesel will return an ARAI certified fuel economy of 20 kmpl.
The India-spec A-class will run on 225/45-section tyres shod on 17-inch alloys for the top end model. Interestingly, on the global stage, Mercedes Benz offers this tyre size only on the A250 – which produces more than 200 PS of power. We are eager to drive the car and see how these low-profile tyres perform on the Indian road conditions.
The top-spec model will also get safety tech like 7 airbags, adaptive headlights, speed limit assist, lane change warning, attention assist and acceleration skid control (ASR), amongst others.
The A-class will be placed below the B-class and runs on the same platform as the sport tourer. This hatchback though, is targeted towards the youth and party-animals and you'll therefore see the party-themed promotions on the run-up to its Indian launch, which is scheduled for May 30, 2013. The expected starting price for the A-class is in the range of Rs 21-23 lakh. Stay tuned to OnCars as we bring you more info on Merc's most affordable car for India yet.
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