[parrys]

Moderator Note: Our Official Review of the Mercedes A-Class is now online : link

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Yesterday, Mercedes-Benz (Shaman Wheels Pvt. Ltd.) invited us for a special preview of the upcoming A-Class.

Please note that this was just a preview, hence no figures have been shared.

High Points:

• The Mercedes A-Class will be launched in two model lines: A 180 CDI (Diesel) & A 180 Sport (Petrol).
• "7G-DCT" 7-Speed Dual-Clutch Transmission with paddle shifts.
• Diesel claims a fuel efficiency of 20 kmpl. ARAI certified.
• Safety features: bi-xenon headlamps, 7 airbags, ABS, ESP, acceleration skid control, adaptive brake lights, attention assist, hill start assist, brake assist, electric parking brake, tyre pressure loss warning.
• Dimensions: 4,292 x 1,780 x 1,433 mm (LxWxH). That's just a little shorter and wider than the average C+ segment sedan.
• Mercedes has mentioned that they have no existing plans of launching a sub-20 lakh car in India; so expect the price to go North of that.
• Mercedes-Benz will have the first mover advantage (against the BMW 1-Series and Audi A3) when they launch the A-Class by the end of this month.
• This is the 3rd generation A-Class (W176).

Taking the wraps off the A-Class.


Mercedes-Benz & MTV are running a competition where you could win an A-Class for a year, or a trip to Ibiza! Link

[parrys]

Exterior:

A very good looking front end.


The front grille is quite the highlight. Mercedes calls it a diamond radiator grille. In that case, there's 302 diamonds here.


A better look at the diamond grille. Check how they orbit around the '3 pointed star'.


The promo video has a different grille shown. When questioned, we were told that all models will get the diamond grille. Lets wait and watch.


The Headlamps resemble the B-Class, though they have their share of differences.


When seen in person, the car does not look small at all.


Coupe like styling. I quite like it.


Rear 3 quarter view is pleasing as well. The A-Class is a very well designed product to look at.


Tail lamps with LEDs.


Integrated rear spoiler. Notice the extra glossy black piece wrapping around the rear glass.


225/45 R17 tyres on 5x2-spoke petal-like alloy wheels.


Check out the rear door design.


Panoramic sunroof.


A-Class soon to be open for business.


A 180 CDI has a claimed fuel efficiency of 20 kmpl.


Structural re-inforcement on the bottom of the hood, though surprisingly there is no sound deadening material present.


Octane rating mentioned on the fuel-lid.

[parrys]

Interiors:

Nope, this is not the B-Class! The major differentiators would be the white background for the instrument cluster & the top layer of the dash.


Copy-paste from the B-Class.


Crisp looking instrument cluster. Not too bright although it has a white background.


14.7 cm TFT display. 6 Speakers connected to the music system.


The CLA which is expected soon is going to be a sedan sibling to the A-Class. It will probably share most of these parts too.


Gear selector is a stalk on the RHS, something this segment of the market isn't familiar with at all. Notice the paddle shift at the bottom for the 7G-DCT transmission.


Cruise control / speed limit stalk on the LHS.


MMI control knob.


Good looking seats, all black with white stitching. Provide good support all around. Integrated headrests give them a sporty look.


Door pads host the electric seat controls and the other usual stuff.


Elevated molding in the floor serves as a dead pedal. The B-Class has much sportier looking metal inserts on the pedals.


Rear seat back is a little too upright as evident in the picture. Decent legroom at the rear, though 5th passenger comfort is doubtful.


A better perspective of the legroom with a front passenger having set the seat position to her taste.


The rear seat-back can fold down to add to the fairly limited boot space.


One more deterrent to the boot space is that the spare wheel is not mounted in a submerged position. It's fairly well presented, but it will be a hindrance.


Sunroof section from the inside.

[Rehaan]

Nice report Parrys. Some good observations!

Originally Posted by parrys

A better look at the diamond grille. Check how they orbit around the '3 pointed star'.

Very interesting little tweak that should give the car a special/premium feel. It carried over quite nicely from the concept A-Class:



I'm still a bit unclear about how this car is going to be positioned, and more-so, how that positioning is going to be accepted by the Indian market. I guess the segment will start to form once the 1-Series comes in -- but I'm still very interested to see what potential it has for sales.

cya
R

[nipcarlover]

WOW! That car looks extremely good with that diamond style grill! Also, the interiors look especially nice and the dials also look nice.
What are the horsepower ratings of the two engines? Approx. price?

[Akshay1234]

I hope the same trim level shown above is available with the diesel too. Looks like we will get the 1.8l 107bhp diesel, luckily not the same 1.5l shared with Renault. So this with a remap is good for 140bhp and 320nm. Now hopefully it will be priced sensibly.

[karan561]

WoW ! Thats quite a looker

I'd buy the diesel A180 even if there's the same Renault K9K engine beneath the hood, but does have the quick shifting 7 spd gearbox which should make it quick enough for a daily run & city traffic

PS - Love the alloy wheel design.

[tbppjpr]

Originally Posted by parrys

• Mercedes has mentioned that they have no existing plans of launching a sub-20 lakh car in India; so expect the price to go North of that.

Though there is no limit of wishes, still it was expected that the car maybe priced just below 20L. Now since we have got clear indication that the A Class is not gonna be priced below 20L, lets see what price they decide and how it performance in the market.

By looking at pictures, interiors are looking blend of luxury and sportiness. This is a hatch back still the rear leg space is very good. This explains that they didn't compromise on comfort front even in the hatchback.

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by karan561

WoW ! Thats quite a looker

I'd buy the diesel A180 even if there's the same Renault K9K engine beneath the hood, but does have the quick shifting 7 spd gearbox which should make it quick enough for a daily run & city traffic

PS - Love the alloy wheel design.

The 1.5 Renault engine only comes in the A180cdi with a manual transmission. The 7 speed dct gets a 1.8 but with the same power output.

[saurabhdadhichi]

Originally Posted by tbppjpr

By looking at pictures, interiors are looking blend of luxury and sportiness. This is a hatch back still the rear leg space is very good. This explains that they didn't compromise on comfort front even in the hatchback.

I think the rear seat comfort does not come only by better leg room but also from under thigh support of rear seats, rear seat angle and having comfort even when three adults are accommodated (at least this point is useful in India context).

Seating position seems to be too upright and shall become uncomfortable for long journey. Yes indeed there is good leg room, decent under thigh support and just about adequate to squeeze in three passengers but from the overall look the car is primarily meant for 2 front passengers with focus on the one who own A Class will be driving it and not sitting on the rear seats.

What is a let down for me has been pricing of A Class. If only they had launched a further trimmed down variant of A Class (engine, manual gear etc) and brought pricing to a sweet spot of 18 Lacs, i think they had a winner at hand.

No doubt one of the Hottest Hatch that looks great, has perfect interiors and last but not least is a MERCEDES

[Bluebeem]

According to this review it should be priced between 22-25 lacs. Beautiful car! Really! I wish it were priced sub 20L.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3Xu3bpA0CQ

Source

[KINI]

A 1.8 Diesel with just 107 horses??Not really a hot hatch is it??

[jalsa777]

Thanks parrys for the detailed preview. If Mercedes positions this car above 20 lakhs (as mentioned in your post), I feel it won't really light up the sales chart. People would rather buy the bigger cars which are frequently discounted. I feel the correct starting price for this car should be 16.5-17 lakhs.

[Maky]

Its very interesting to me that this so called diamond grill will be present in the production version for car sold in India. Every and I mean every review I have seen of the A-Class has had the regular grill with those 2 bars. Is the Indian consumer getting for the first time ever, exclusive treatment from an international car brand : P ? Most excellent.
Oh and if you're accurate on the ex-showroom OP I have my doubts about how many units will move every month. I was really hoping for a sub-20L, 18L Ex-Showroom price tag.

[iliketurtles]

Gorgeous car on the whole, and that grille! Ooh la la. But that pricing (if it is north of 20L) will definitely kill off a lot of interest in it. How many people will shell out the dough for a 20L hatchback? Car-buyers in our nation are very value-conscious, and I'm not sure how much value there is in the A Class. If you can spend that much on a smaller car, you can (should) stretch your budget a bit more and go for a proper sedan. That's just how many will see it. Let's see how the A Class goes, should be interesting