Neo luxury : Mercedes A-Class apart

The launch of the first petrol-powered car, the Benz Patent Motorwagen in January 1886, heralded the birth of the modern automobile. Since then, for over a century, Mercedes Benz has stood faithful to its slogan, “The best or nothing”.

India, a colony of the British empire until 1947, is now a bustling economy. With startling statistics which suggest that 300 million Indians will join the workforce between 2010 and 2040, is there a better market?

And what better way to build a brand. The Merc has always held the fascination of the average Indian. In India, a Merc symbolises wealth, power and above all, class.

The President of the Republic uses a custom-built S600 (W221) Pullman Guard.

Today, India is in transition from a nation that fought for its Independence and another generation that fought the Emergency. Today’s India is young, exuberant and ready to grab every opportunity. Cars, fast cars and faster cars hold the youth’s sway. But what about class? The Mercedes is class no doubt, but will the young India flaunt it? Enter the A-class.

The usual Merc is a chauffer-driven beauty with the owner and the family resting in its cradle. The A-class is one where you, the owner, will be in the driver’s seat, showing it off, revving it in the open. The premium hatchback is a car that catches the eye. The A-class is Mercedes-Benz in tune with the “modern” generation.

Launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show 1997 as a super mini, the A-class now ends up as a small family car. The first generation of cars belonged to the years 1997-2004. The second generation from 2004-2012. What we have here is the third generation machine.

Over the years, the A-class has grown in its design, especially the aerodynamics. The first generation W-168 will most probably remind you of a Wagon R. It is an ocean of change since 1997. The third generation is aimed at competing with the Audi A3 and the BMW 1 series. The A-series in India has two variants. The A 180 CDI powered by a 2.2 litre diesel engine, and the A 180 sport powered by a 1.6 litre petrol engine.

We got to test drive the A 180 sport. The car is quite an aggressive beast, yet subtle in appearance, a design feature most European carmakers adhere to. The A 180 impresses with its 5 Twin-spoke light 17-inch alloys, a radiator grille featuring a silver-coloured twin louvre with chrome trim and a two-pipe exhaust system with chrome-look tailpipe trim.

The highlight of the car is the diamond radiator grille, making it the first automobile with such a feature. The innovative diamond-like pins, 302 of them, embellish the front of the car and add to the entire frontal appearance. The large sliding Bi-Xenon headlamps with daytime running lamps and washers and at the rear, the well-integrated tail lamps only spray more character.

For a hatchback, the A 180 is not small. With a length of 4292 mm, width of 1780 mm and height of 1433 mm, it is one big machine.

Once we seat ourselves inside the car, what follows is the sheer sportiness that has tended to continue from the exterior into the interior as well. A welcome find is the 3-spoke multifunction steering wheel, with perforated leather and 12 function buttons, featuring the Mercedes-Benz logo.

It is an all-black interior with a gentle spread of silver across trims and around knobs and switches. The interior of the urban design and equipment line displays enhanced sportiness with its instrument cluster and sports seats in black diamond-pattern trim, contrasting topstitching plus door centre panels and armrests. Below the armrest is a large stowage box to keep relevant things on the move.

The three aesthetically appealing circular airflow vents on the dashboard and the multi-functional multimedia touchscreen are part of the technological marvels the A-Class offers. The Audio 20 CD multimedia system boasts a TFT colour display with a 14.7 cm diagonal screen. With its integral CD drive both MP3 and WMA/AAC files can be played.

The Audio 20 CD can be conveniently operated through the multifunction steering wheel and the controller in the centre console, and also includes a telephone keypad, a Bluetooth interface with hands-free function and an aux-in and USB socket in the stowage compartment on the centre console. This means that one can play music saved on an MP3 player, smartphone or mobile data carrier through six effective loudspeakers.

On the road, through traffic, the car darts forward, and though reaching high speeds within no time, the expected sound evolving from the engine’s rev is hardly a matter of concern for occupants, since the car has one of the quietest cabins.

The A 180 boasts of an impressive acceleration of 0-100 kmph in roughly 9.6 seconds (our experience). The new powerplant with direct petrol injection, variable valve timing and a turbocharger offers excellent figures when it comes to both torque and power, along with low fuel consumption. The new petrol engine is developed with the aim of reducing fuel consumption and emissions without compromising on output and ride comfort. The 1.6-litre petrol engine, with a torque of 200 Nm @ 1250-4000 rpm, dishes out a max speed of 202 kmph.

The car comprises a 7-speed dual clutch transmission 7G-DCT, which combines comfort, sportiness and economy. The car can be driven in fully automatic or paddle-shift mode.
On the highway, the A 180 is in a world of its own. Just go automatic and push the accelerator and the car is cruising past all other vehicles. With a turning radius of 11 metres and a wheelbase of 2699 mm, the car can be quite effortlessly turned around.
The panoramic sliding sunroof consists of an electrically operated glass sliding roof running on the exterior. The large glass surface offers a generous transparent area and lets in lots of light.

On the comfort front, the standard-specification seats have high backrests and a newly developed head restraint, offer good lateral support and features classy upholstery.

Around the seats, the cabin space is very roomy and five people can comfortably breathe. Even the boot space is quite big for a compact car, with a space of 341 to 1157 litres.

The problems crop up here. Bad ground clearance. Knowing the state of roads in India, especially during the monsoon, Mercedes should have paid attention to this issue. On course, several times, we are rudely shaken by humps that manage to make rough contact with the undercarriage of the car. Though an aluminium sheet protects the vital components under the car from such jolts, such instances, while on the drive, tend to be irritating and spoil the whole experience.

Another drawback is that while taking curves at speeds above 120 kmph, the car tends to drift, quite scarily, and forces you to slow down. Taking a curve at high speeds should be a cakewalk for a Merc, one would expect. Perhaps, more than the ground clearance, the A-class is disappointing here. So beware of the curves.

Otherwise, the A 180 is an absolute beauty. Comfort, acceleration, safety, class and yes the looks!!! You will get them all at a well thought out price-point of Rs 24,01,956 (ex-showroom Bangalore). Own it, enjoy it and move on to the classier versions. It is a relationship Mercedes-Benz intends to build with the young customer for a lifetime.