News: Mercedes A-Class is royally classy

 

Kate Midleton may be expecting, but Mercedes’ new baby, the A-Class, is already arriving in dealerships across Ireland and is expected to be a star player (pun intended) in the Irish market next year.

Two models will take centre stage initially - one is an A180 petrol version which comes on the market at €26,435 (ex works) and the other an A180 CDI diesel version at €28,550, the version likely to attract most attention due, in part, to its greener CO2 emissions of just 98g/km.

Both models will come in a choice of three specifications and equipment lines – Style, Urban and Sports Pack. Entry models sold here come equipped with Style Pack features that include items which, were they purchased separately, would have a value of €1,600.

Compatible with the needs of the iPhone, iPad generation, its optional on board high-tech functionality is such that iPhone Siri voice-activated units and iPad music and Apps can be played through the car’s infotainment system.

The new A-Class is as different from its predecessor as it is possible to be. Sitting some 18cm closer to the ground, its low-slung posture and SL-like fascia give it a positively sporty appearance that Mercedes hopes will appeal to young male and female motorists alike.

Front-wheel drive, all engines have an idle-stop system as standard, linked to a 6-speed manual or 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. New four-link rear suspension has a range of settings that includes an optional sports setting with direct steer.  Collision Prevention Assist, Attention Assist, Adaptive Brake Assist and Brake Hold are all part of its standard safety features.

Since it first appeared at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, worldwide interest in the new A-Class has been intense so much so that a backlog of orders already exists. Here in Ireland, Mercedes-Benz passenger car sales manager Ciaran Allen expects supply to keep pace with demand in the initial phases, at least.

“In keeping with its high-tech image, our launch plan will include a heavy concentration on Facebook and smart phone App technology to create an ‘interactive platform’ whereby prospective customers can learn about the A-Class and scroll through its features to model the version they like best” Mr. Allen said.

Already something of a ‘wunderkind’ in terms of its environmental features, the A-Class 180 CDI is acknowledged by the German TÜV organisation as offering fuel savings of up to 26 percent, emissions as low as 98g CO2/km, a best in class CD value of 0.27 and petrol engines that comply with Euro 6 emissions standard. Indeed, over its entire life cycle from production to recycling, it is estimated that the A-Class, in the guise of the A180 BE version, will produce 5.7 tons less emissions than its predecessor and meets the stipulated recycling rate of 95 percent by weight.

Road Test: Mercedes-Benz A180 CDI

Price as tested: €28,550

+ Styling, engine, handling
– Driving position
= Puts Merc right at the top of the premium hatch tree

I can still remember clearly the last time I drove an old-shape A-Class. You remember? The tall, slightly geeky looking one that was big on space but small on styling and driver appeal. I can still recall heading north up the M1 motorway, just passing the exit for Skerries and thinking “I just don’t like this.”

And that was odd, because I should have. I liked, and still do like, most Mercedes cars. I appreciate cars that are clever, spacious and useful and the old A was all of those things. But I just couldn’t appreciate the shopping-trolley handling, the awkward driving position or, especially on that warm August day, the feeble, non-air-conditioned ventilation.

While the old A certainly had its followers and was one of the most genuinely innovative cars of the past two decades, it just never resonated with customers the way that rivals like the BMW 1 Series and Audi A3 did.

I think that might all be about to change because on a chilly November afternoon, I have now driven the all-new A-Class and suddenly, Mercedes’ smallest car has snapped into sharp focus.

Gone is the tall, spacious MPV-like body of before, and gone with it the clever ‘sandwich’ floor arrangement (originally designed to leave space for the batteries for a proposed electric version) and in comes properly gorgeous, low-slung styling with a prominent bonnet and a cab-backward stance. The new A really is very handsome indeed and that alone should increase its potential sales by a significant figure.

Inside, you no longer get the massive space of the old one, but then you do now get a cabin that looks like it has come from a proper Mercedes. The big, iPad-style control screen in the centre of the dash looks like it should be a touch-screen (sadly it isn’t) and the retro-sixties-style circular air vents are a nice touch.

Slip behind the chunky, sporty, three-spoke steering wheel and you will instantly find the A-Class’ one major flaw. Its driving position. If you’re tall, then you’ll have to sit low to the floor and with your knees splayed out. That’s not a major issue, but at this point the angle of the throttle pedal becomes distinctly awkward and the pedal’s light action means you can’t rest your foot on it when holding a constant speed – you have to hover your foot over it all the time. That’s going to cause major leg ache on a long journey and will expose the fact that the A doesn’t have standard-fit cruise control.

Ah well, perfection is unattainable in nature and all that, so let’s press on and see what the new A-Class does well. And the answer to that question is; pretty much everything else. The 109bhp 180 CDI diesel engine is actually a 1.5-litre unit and while you wouldn’t think it would be especially muscular, it actually provides really decent amounts of poke. The 260Nm of torque is the key figure here, as is the A’s 1,395kg kerb weight. Stir the six-speed manual gearbox with a touch of vigour and you’ll never be less than impressed with its straightline performance, all of which is delivered while it averages a claimed 3.8-litres per 100km (74mpg) and emits as little as 98g/km of Co2, depending on which size of alloy wheels you specify.

To drive, at first, the A feels a little loose-limbed and remote. Trickling through traffic, there’s little or nothing to tell you that this is anything other than another comfort-oriented Mercedes. But get it on to a twisty, properly challenging road and the A-Class really comes alive. The steering weights up (without becoming intrusively heavy) and the chassis really starts to sing, allowing you to fully exploit the diesel grunt. It’s not merely precise, predictable and poised; it’s actually fun. In fact, it’s so good to drive that it just manages to nick the driver appeal trophy from the rear-drive BMW 1 Series.

To all of those talents you can add a cabin that’s decently spacious in the rear and a boot that’s large and square enough to make the A-Class feel truly practical.

At €28k for this most basic of diesel models, you can’t say that it’s exactly affordable but at long last, the A-Class does the job it was originally designed to do; to offer a truly desirable, properly Mercedes driving experience in a compact package at a compact price.


Mercedes-Benz A180 CDI
Price as tested: €28,995
Price range: €26,435 to €41,230
Capacity: 1,461
Power: 109bhp
Torque: 260Nm
Top speed: 190kmh
0-100kmh: 11.3sec
Economy: 3.8l-100km (74mpg)
CO2 emissions: 98g/km
Road Tax Band: A. €160
Euro NCAP rating: Not yet tested

News: Mercedes announces Irish prices for the new A-Class

Mercedes-Benz's new A-Class will cost from €26,435 when it goes on sale in December, says Motor Distributors, Mercedes' Irish importer.



Mercedes has announced that it will be giving pride of place in Ireland to two models from their new A-Class range, both of which are due to arrive here in December. One will be an A180 petrol version at €26,435 (ex works) and the other an A180 CDI diesel version at €28,550 – the latter model being the one predicted to take the spotlight in Ireland, thanks in part to its greener CO2 emissions of just 98g/km.

Billed as the car that many believe will introduce the luxury car maker to a completely new, younger generation of customers, both models will come in a choice of three specifications and equipment lines – Style Pack, Urban Pack and Sports Pack. Entry models sold here will all be equipped with the Style Pack option – a package that includes items which, were they purchased separately, would have a value equivalent to €1,600.

To highlight what is seen as one of the A-Class’ USPs – its iPhone and iPad compatibility - the launch plan being put together by Mercedes-Benz will major heavily on Facebook and smart phone App technology to create an ‘interactive platform’ whereby prospective customers can scroll through its features to select the model that suits them best.

Since its debut at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, queues for the new A-Class have already begun to form, here and around the globe. With over 40.000 orders already placed even before production has commenced, Mercedes-Benz has had to supplement production capacity to meet expected demand.

As different from its predecessor as it is possible to be, the new A-Class sits some 18cm closer to the ground – a lower-slung posture that gives it a distinctly sporty, youthful appearance. Built on the B-Class platform, its on board high-tech functionality is such that iPhone Siri voice-activated units and iPad music and Apps can be played through the car’s infotainment system.

All engines offer an idle-stop system as standard, linked to a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive, the new A-Class has a new four-link rear suspension system with a range of settings on offer that includes an optional sports setting with direct steer. Collision Prevention Assist, Attention Assist, Adaptive Brake Assist and Brake Hold are all part of its standard safety features.