The year's most awaited new car, Mercedes-Benz A-Class is to be launched on May 30, 2013 in India. This new luxury hatchback makes a strong statement with attractive styling and modern features. With the new A-Class, Mercedes-Benz India is looking to lure young and aspirational buyers towards its stores.
From the outside, bold design cues of the new Mercedes-Benz A-Class help it stand out from the crowd. The large front grille with its prominent three-pointed star logo gives the vehicle a luxurious appearance. High quality of leather materials, along with creature comforts have been provided to pamper the occupants. However, this is more of a driver-centric vehicle which is immensely fun to drive, owing to its low stance and powerful engine.
Apart from the above mentioned features, a lot of safety equipment has also been provided, which is at par with bigger luxury vehicles. The list of equipment includes Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Electronic Stability Program (ESP), attention assist and seven airbags, apart from a host of other features. In addition, this vehicle is made of a strong frame that confirms to the safety requirements of Euro NCAP, which gives the A-Class hatch a five-star rating.
Globally, there are several different engines that will be employed to power the new Mercedes-Benz A-Class. However, the India-spec model would get two different engines, namely a 1.6 litre, 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol motor and a 2.2 litre diesel motor. The 1.6 litre power-mill generates 122 bhp of power and 200 Nm of torque, allowing the car to accelerate from 0-100 kmph in 9.76 seconds. The top speed of this version is 202 kmph. Apart from this, the engine is mated to a 7-speed dual clutch automatic transmission. Interestingly, this automatic gearbox has three different modes- Economy, Sport and Manual. Gear shifts can be controlled by using paddle shifters on the steering wheel. In comparison to this model, the A 180 CDI gets a diesel engine that generates 109 bhp of power and 260 Nm of torque.
