Mercedes-Benz A-Class - a well-tailored suit at a reasonable price
It is undeniable that the Mercedes-Benz brand is associated primarily with luxury and the highest class, even when it comes to models from lower price categories. The brand logo is known in the farthest corners of the world, and among the buyers there are more sedate men in expensive suits. Of course, the brand does not mind, but the needs of the market are very broad. Not surprisingly, this time around, the Stuttgart-based manufacturer focused primarily on freshness, dynamism and modernity when creating the A-Class. Did it work this time?
The previous A class was not a very beautiful car and certainly not for young and ambitious people. Mercedes, wanting to slightly change its image of a car manufacturer for dads and grandparents, has created a car that can be liked. The official debut of the car took place at the Geneva Motor Show in March this year. Many people were concerned that Mercedes would be limited to a facelift and light fixes. Fortunately, what we saw exceeded our expectations and, most importantly, dispelled all fears - the new A-class is a completely different car, and most importantly - a real pearl of style.
Of course, not everyone will like the look, but compared to the previous generation, the new model is a real revolution. The body of the novelty under the sign of a three-pointed star is a typical hatchback with very sharp and expressive lines. The most striking feature is the bold embossing on the door, which not everyone will like, but we do. The front of the car is also very interesting, with a dynamic line of lights adorned with LED strip, a wide and expressive grille and a very aggressive bumper. Unfortunately, looking from behind, it seems that this is a different car. It is clearly seen that the designers ran out of ideas or their courage ended at the front. It is not right? Probably not, because the back is also correct, but not as fat. We leave the decision to the readers.
Under the hood of the new A-Class is a wide range of different powertrains, so there is something for everyone. Supporters of gasoline engines will be offered a choice of 1,6- and 2,0-liter units with a capacity of 115 hp. in version A 180, 156 hp in the A200 model and as much as 211 hp. in the A 250 variant. All engines are turbocharged and direct fuel injection. An interesting fact is certainly the debut in the 1,6-liter engine of an interesting system called CAMTRONIC, which regulates the intake valve lift. This solution will save fuel at times of low load.
Diesel lovers should also be pleased with the offer prepared for them by the manufacturer from Stuttgart. The offer will include the A 180 CDI with a 109 hp engine. and a torque of 250 Nm. Variant A 200 CDI with 136 hp and a torque of 300 Nm has been prepared for those who crave great sensations. The most powerful version of the A 220 CDI has a 2,2-liter unit with 170 hp under the hood. and a torque of 350 Nm. Regardless of the type of engine under the hood, all cars will have an ECO start/stop function as standard. There is a choice of a traditional 6-speed manual transmission or a 7-speed 7G-DCT automatic transmission.
It is worth paying special attention to safety. Mercedes says the A-Class is light years ahead of the competition when it comes to safety. Pretty bold statement, but is it actually true? Yes, security is at a high level, but competition is not dormant. The new A-Class is equipped, among other things, with radar-assisted collision warning Collision Prevention Assist with Adaptive Brake Assist. The combination of these systems allows you to timely detect the danger of a collision from behind with the car in front. When such a risk occurs, the system warns the driver with visual and audible signals and prepares the braking system to respond accurately, protecting against the consequences of a possible collision. The manufacturer claims that the system will significantly reduce the likelihood of a collision, for example, when driving in a traffic jam. There are rumors of up to 80% success rates, but it's actually hard to measure.
It is often said that what is now in the Mercedes S-Class will be transferred to ordinary cars for ordinary users in a few years. The same goes for the A-Class, which will get the PRE-SAFE system that was introduced to the S-Class in 2002. How does it work? Well, the system is able to detect critical traffic situations and activate security systems if necessary. As a result, the risk of injury to vehicle occupants is greatly reduced. If the system "senses" such a critical situation, it activates the seat belt pretensioners within moments, closes all windows in the car, including the sunroof, and adjusts the power seats to the optimum position - all to reduce minimum adverse effects. consequences of a collision or accident. Sounds really fantastic, but by the way, we hope that no owner of the new A-Class will ever have to test the effectiveness of any of these systems.
The official Polish premiere of the new A-Class took place a few days ago, and it will probably arrive in car dealerships in September this year. The car looks really great, the engine offer is very rich and the equipment is really impressive. In general, the new A-Class is a very successful car, but only the sales statistics and the subsequent opinions of happy (or not) owners will confirm whether the Mercedes with the new A-Class won the hearts of a new clientele or, on the contrary, alienated it even more.
