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Mod Note: Team-BHP's Mercedes A-Class Limousine Review has been taken live at this link. Please continue the discussion over on the new thread. Thanks! Mercedes-Benz A-class sedan being worked on for India
New Mercedes-Benz A-class sedan will have a higher roof and more space on the inside; likely to be priced around Rs 40 lakh.
Mercedes-Benz, the leading maker of luxury cars in India, is readying the all-new A-class sedan for a launch in India, come 2020-2021. A car that has the potential to rapidly climb Merc’s bestsellers’ list, the A-class sedan will be more appealing to Indian car buyers because, unlike the CLA coupé, it is fundamentally larger and more comfortable on the inside.
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Mercedes has even aced the design of the dash – minimalist and unstructured, it feels sophisticated and modern.
What’s also likely to make it here is Merc’s new MBUX infotainment system with its new voice control function.
What also keeps things interesting is that the car gets Merc’s new ‘predator face’ look – the one pioneered on the new CLS.
Under the hood, the mainstay of the car is likely to be the 163hp, 1.5-litre A200 petrol engine. It powers the front wheels via a 7-speed DCT or dual-clutch automatic, and has a claimed 0-100kph time of 8.1sec. The A180d, or the diesel, puts out 116hp, and Mercedes, unlike others, will be keen to get the diesel here.
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Originally Posted by JS Kwt
(Post 4557157)
New Mercedes-Benz A-class sedan will have a higher roof and more space on the inside; likely to be priced around Rs 40 lakh
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Wait, what?! If the A-class sedan is 40, where does the C start at? Not quite sure what Merc's strategy here is, unless this is meant to be one of those several CBU token launches.
Also, do Merc and Audi employ the same designer for tail lamps?
Man, a car costing 40L is going to have 116Bhp under it hood? While I understand that a 'powerful' petrol alternate will be available, diesel buyers definitely don't deserve such step motherly treatment from the company. This engine is supplied to Mercedes by Renault and is the same engine which is found in the Duster and in the Renault Logan. :Shockked:
In order for the A Class sedan to win in India, it must adhere to the following 5 points:
1) Have the extended wheelbase from China.
2) Be priced under Rs. 30L ex showroom. The price should not exceed this, as this is based on a hatchback.
3) Must have convenience features that match the Korean/ JP similarly sized saloon cars. Automatic transmission, cooled seats and a rear view camera are MUST haves.
4) Mercedes can skip on real leather (MB Tex will do), heated mirrors & seats, autonomous driving/ parking and the sunroof to save costs. Nothing else must be skimped on.
5) Have a factory warranty for a minimum of 3 years. Ideally, this needs to be 4 years.
It will work!
My cousin has a 60km daily commute, 90 min each way. He became VP and was entitled to a Rs 40L car + driver.
Company criteria was
Sober colour and a saloon. SUV not permitted!
Logically - the Superb or Passat - you would say!
A3 - no legroom
XE - not cheap enough
3 series - over the budget
So he buys a CLA200 and is Chauffeur driven in that. It was brand over comfort!
Having a few Sundays at leisure is turning out to be a good thing for me from an automotive point of view. Test drove the current CLA on one such Sunday. It's a lovely driver's car and ticked the refinement, look, fit and finish boxes for me wonderfully. What turned me off was the rather limited headroom in the back, the sense of claustrophobia that the black leather invokes in the back seat, and the feeling that the car wouldn't do so well on the less than perfect roads in Bangalore.
I do notice in these pictures that the transmission tunnel is high and rather intrusive in the back. A feature on these cars that I'm still not happy with (flatter floors are so much better).
Then I read the news about the new A, and decided that if I was in the market for a 3 pointed star at this level (I'm not), I would do well to wait for the new A (yes, easy to say because I'm not ... but also logical).
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Originally Posted by Warlock
(Post 4558100)
Having a few Sundays at leisure is turning out to be a good thing for me from an automotive point of view. Test drove the current CLA on one such Sunday. It's a lovely driver's car and ticked the refinement, look, fit and finish boxes for me wonderfully.
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If you liked the CLA, you'll love the A3, be it the interior design or the drive (diesel).
Here's Doug DeMuro's review of the US-spec Mercedes A-Class:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL5l-_9bIVk
Based on what I saw in the video, the A-class is more spacious than the CLA and is something I might personally want to own someday for driving around in urban areas. I also prefer the shape of the A rather than CLA, but that's just my personal opinion.
Let's hope they make it less than 4000 mm in length and get tax sops also a new 1.2 twin turbo mill for petrol with a 10 speed ZF gear box and 1.5 diesel twin turbo also with a 9 speed DCT. Price it strictly in the 'Honda City' range :uncontrol!!
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Originally Posted by Durango Dude
(Post 4558170)
Let's hope they make it less than 4000 mm in length and get tax sops also a new 1.2 twin turbo mill for petrol with a 10 speed ZF gear box and 1.5 diesel twin turbo also with a 9 speed DCT. Price it strictly in the 'Honda City' range :uncontrol!!
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I hope they never make it sub 4m cause the design will be sad and there will be zero space at the back.
One look at CLA and A and C will tell you these are not spacious cars. So an A class sub 4m is not even imaginable.
Luckily, the A class sedan is 4.54 metres internationally so we will be similar.
Frankly, one of the worse things to happen to the Indian automotive scene in the last 10 years is the sub 4m category. The cars sold in India would have been so much nicer had this rule never come in. I'm for the 1.2L engine rule but absolutely not for the silly sub 4m rule.
I don't think Mercedes is going to make any A-Class sedan changes that are specific to India (e.g. higher roof). The sales numbers simply don't justify that investment. If at all, we'll get a cut-copy-paste of a more spacious A-Class sedan that was made for another country.
40 lakhs? Believable if we're talking about the on-road price. The CLA-Class (before discounts) goes for 40+ lakhs in Mumbai today.
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Originally Posted by libranof1987
(Post 4557196)
If the A-class sedan is 40, where does the C start at?
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Overlap will be inevitable. I'd say a 5-lakh rupee difference between the two will be maintained.
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Originally Posted by voldemort
(Post 4558164)
If you liked the CLA, you'll love the A3, be it the interior design or the drive (diesel).
Here's Doug DeMuro's review of the US-spec Mercedes A-Class:
Based on what I saw in the video, the A-class is more spacious than the CLA and is something I might personally want to own someday for driving around in urban areas. I also prefer the shape of the A rather than CLA, but that's just my personal opinion.
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Thanks for sending this. What often happens is that the German brands often strip-down (a little) the offerings in India. I'm hoping the same spec makes it here.
Aesthetics are a personal thing, and I think the A looks a little more traditional. The CLA is (to my eyes) a little more edgy. But the design does compromise headroom quite significantly. Hence, while it may appeal to the eye, it certianly doesnt create enough space in the heart (bad puns fully intended).
Mercedes-Benz A-class sedan India debut at Auto Expo 2020
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Mercedes’ new rival to the Audi A3 and BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe will join the next-generation CLA coupe and GLA SUV in the brand’s India line-up in 2020.
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it will be locally assembled at the brand’s Chakan plant, alongside models that share its platform such as the next-generation CLA and GLA.
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I just hope it is reasonably priced. Given that CLA is also getting launched and both these will be below the C Class, the price will logically be in this order A<CLA<C. Since C is around 40, expecting A to be around 30-32 ex showroom.
Thanks Kray. I guess that means the Merc will replace the CLA in pricing as well.
Mod Note: Team-BHP's Mercedes A-Class Limousine Review has been taken live at this link. Please continue the discussion over on the new thread. Thanks!
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