Premiered at the Geneva Motor Show, the new Mercedes-Benz A-Class will be offered with a range of petrol and diesel engines. The petrol engines have a displacement of 1.6 and 2.0-litres. The power ranges from 115 hp in the A 180 and 156 hp in the A 200 through to 211 hp in the A 250. Common to all is the combination of direct injection and exhaust gas turbocharging, a more advanced combustion process and an extended stratification range for lean-burn operation that uses fast-acting injectors for the multiple injection of the fuel as well as on-demand multi-spark ignition. Camtronic is an innovation that will be celebrating its world premiere in the 1.6-litre engine: adjusting the valve lift on the intake side restricts the amount of fresh mixture used in the partial load range, so reducing consumption.
The diesel engines also offer an impressively high level of efficiency and environmental compatibility, thanks to sophisticated injection technology and turbocharging. The A 180 CDI offers an output of 109 hp and a maximum torque of up to 250 Nm, while the A 200 CDI has a maximum output of 136 hp and torque that rises to 300 Nm. The A 220 CDI has a displacement of 2.2 litres, an output of 170 hp and torque of 350 Nm, delivering absolutely exceptional performance in the A-Class. All engines in the new A-Class feature the ECO start/stop function as standard. The engines can be combined either with the new six-speed manual transmission or, as an option, with the 7G-DCT dual-clutch automatic transmission.
For the first time, the performance specialists from AMG were involved in the development of the compact class from a very early stage. The result is the most dynamic version of the new model series – the A-Class Sport ‘engineered by AMG’, in which the visual affinity to the Concept A-CLASS is at its most evident – particularly in terms of the new diamond grille. The A-Class Sport features exclusive 18-inch AMG light-alloy wheels in a 5-spoke design with 235/40 R18 tyres all round and painted high-gloss black with a high-sheen finish, together with red-painted brake callipers. These give an indication of the particularly dynamic driving qualities of the A 250 Sport and the A 220 CDI Sport, which are differentiated, amongst other factors, by a special AMG-developed front axle and a suspension that has been configured to match.
Hints of red on the AMG front and rear aprons also serve to emphasise the expressive positioning of the new model. The contrast between black trim and additional accents in red continues in the interior: the contrasting decorative topstitching on the steering wheel and seats is in this same bright shade, as are the seat belts. The ambient lighting of the instruments and the highlight rings of the air vents are similarly red.
