Mercedes Benz was the first real luxury brand in India. Over the years, it has been successful in carving out a niche place in the Indian auto industry. However, over the past few years, its fellow German and European rivals have outgrown it in both sales and desirability. This has forced the three pointed star to try new endeavors to reclaim its throne.
Mercedes A Class is a leading example of one such pursuit. It has been designed to attract well-off young customers waiting to experience first-class luxury. The design itself is flashy yet subtle which blends beautifully with the new Mercedes family face. Prominent styling cake is the massively gorgeous pointed grill. Further, the protruding pointed star logo on it is one hell of an icing. The headlight unit looks spectacular with LED strip and metallic inserts complimenting Bi-Xenon projectors.
The side profile works hard to accommodate large wheelbase of 2699mm (larger than Renault Duster or VW Jetta) into a hatchback design code. The massive 17” wheels look brilliant. The character line illustrates a minimist stroke over the doors with a prominent body crease that floats up towards the rear. Wide C-pillar looks good but hampers the all-around visibility.
Rear window is compact and forward swooping. Again, low visibility but looks good. Integrated roof spoiler looks sporty and compliments the twin exhaust pipes. LED laden tail-lampis neat and provides an overall wide body stance.
Interiors are typical Merc with top-notch materials and luxury. The dashboard is logically placed with shiny AC vents and information screen. Instrument cluster looks great with informative MID. Seats are one-piece with integrated head rests that goes well with the sporty theme. Mercedes offers zillions of equipment to play with like panoramic sunroof, two zone climate control, satnav, Merc’sCOMAND system, power seats (driver only) and no to mention 7 airbags, ESP and ATTENTION assist. Sadly,fat transmission tunnel, narrow shoulder room and claustrophobic interior make A Class a strict 4-seater.
Powertrain includes 180 Sport petrol and 180 CDI diesel options mated to a 7speed dual-clutch auto gearbox with paddle shifters. However, it’s witty that 180 Sport is actually 1.6L with 122PS 5000rpm and 200Nm 1250-4000rpm and the 180 CDI diesel is 2.2L with 108PS 3200-4000rpm and250Nm 1400-1800rpm. Mileage is around 12-13kmpl for both the variants. Dynamic body style and spirited powertrain confirms a planted ride both on highways and on switchback roads. 0-100kmph dash takes around 9.5sec.
With price tag of around 22 Lakhs, Mercedes A Class is a great package of luxury, performance and flamboyance with only BMW 1series as a threat. Overall, A Class offers everything that a well-off young customer can demand and that too with an added pinch of style.
