Up till now, it was known that six different engines for the new Mercedes A-Class are on offer globally, but it was not known which of these would be used for the India-spec model. Now it has been revealed that a 1.6 litre petrol and 2.2 litre diesel engine will be used for the A-Class, which will be officially launched in the country on May 30, 2013.
As part of the company's promotion plans, the A-Class is being previewed for select audiences at different Mercedes-Benz showrooms in the country, the latest private launch party having taken place in Chennai. With this affordable luxury hatchback, Mercedes-Benz India will attempt to gain back some of the market share it has lost to fellow German rivals BMW and Audi over the years. Similar to other Mercedes-Benz launches, the new A-Class would also be brought to India as a Completely Built Unit (CBU) with an AMG body kit, but later it may be available as a Completely Knocked Down (CKD) unit.
On the engine front, the A-Class petrol, known as A180, would get a 1.6 litre turbo motor, capable of churning out a maximum power of 121 bhp. On the other hand, the diesel variant, A 180 CDI, would be fitted with a 2.2 litre diesel motor, generating 118 bhp of power, coupled with a torque of 250 Nm. The petrol version also comes with a 7-speed DSG automatic gearbox, but it is not known whether this transmission will be present in the diesel variants or not. In addition, the diesel version would also be capable of returning a fuel economy of about 20 kmpl.
In terms of pricing, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class is expected to be available at a price range from Rs. 18 lakh to Rs. 20 lakh. This price will also clash with a few D-segment sedans in the country. In the luxury hatchback segment, the new A-Class, which would be positioned just below the B-Class Sports Tourer and would take on upcoming BMW 1 Series and Audi A3 models.
