When Mercedes-Benz management made the decision to translate the quality and reliability of their own vehicles into small forms, engineers had a reason to think. Bringing Stuttgart cars closer to the people meant a major redefinition of safety.
The leadership idea was embodied in a solution called the “sandwich principle”. It was supposed to resolve the contradiction between compact size and passenger safety. To do this, the engine and transmission were partially moved forward, partially removed under the body, so that in a head-on collision, the units would go down and not harm those in the cabin.
| Specifications | |
| Body | |
| A type | 5-door hatchback |
| Length | 3838 mm |
| Width | 1,764 mm |
| Height | 1 975 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2 568 mm |
| Turning diameter | 11.0 m |
| Trunk volume | |
| (with folded rear seats) | 435/1995 l |
| Curb weight | 1 240 kg |
| Engine | |
| Location | transverse |
| A type | petrol |
| Working volume | 1,699 cc cm |
| Number of cylinders / valves | 4/16 |
| Maximum power | 116 hp / 5,500 rpm |
| Max. torque | 155 Nm / 3,500 rpm |
| Transmission | |
| Drive unit | front |
| Box type | Autotronic variator |
| Suspension | |
| Front | independent, like McPherson |
| Back | semi-independent spring |
| Brakes | |
| Front | ventilated disc |
| Rear | disk |
| Dynamics | |
| Maximum speed | 188 km / h |
| Acceleration 0-100 km / h | 10.9 s |
| Fuel consumption per 100 km | |
| Urban | 10.2 l |
| Highway | 5.4 l |
| Mixed | 7.2 l |
| Tank capacity | 54 l |
After that, a Swede appeared, on whose behalf the Mercedes people would shudder for a long time. This is journalist Robert Colleen, who 10 years ago managed to turn over a test Mercedes A-Class and, of course, blamed the Stuttgart people and their equipment for what happened.
The Germans did not believe the Swedish journalist and conducted a lengthy investigation, but the suspension device was still revised, “tightened”, lowered ... So, now the Mercedes A-Class car cannot be turned over, even if you really want to.
However, the accident with the overturned car did not significantly affect the reputation of Mercedes. Quite the contrary: in 1999, the compact Mercedes A-Class entered the top ten best-selling cars in Germany, and nearly a million car enthusiasts worldwide chose the compact Mercedes. At the same time, more than 80% of Mercedes A-Class car buyers have become new customers for the Mercedes car brand.
The windshield and bonnet of the current generation Mercedes A-Class form a straight line that blends seamlessly into the roof. Stylish sidewalls with stamping and moldings echo the style of older Stuttgart models, and short overhangs with an impressive (for the segment) wheelbase dispel doubts about the stability of the Mercedes A-Class. And the A-class also strongly resembles Smart, only in a more serious and practical design.
As soon as you look into the cabin, it becomes clear that everything is "grown-up" here: soft-touch plastic, wood inserts and leather-trimmed steering wheel and parking brake. The steering wheel contains buttons for controlling the phone and the on-board computer. The steering column switch is still one, but the functions on it are from both. The quality of fit of the details, as expected, is exceptional.
The new Mercedes A-Class surpasses the previous model in all interior dimensions essential for comfort: the interior width of the body at the level of the passengers' shoulders has increased by almost 97 mm, along the front armrests - by 95 mm, and the free space in front of the knees in the rear of the cabin - by almost 30 mm. The distance between the front and rear seats is 805 mm, which is comparable to a mid-range sedan.
The Mercedes A-Class in the Elegance configuration is equipped with a 1.7-liter 115-horsepower engine and an Autotronic CVT. This gearbox has three modes, two of which - C ("comfort") and S ("standard") are switched by pressing a button. The third - "manual" - is initiated by pushing the selector to the right or left and simulates the change of seven virtual gears.
The “imitation” of the manual gearbox is thought out - in the “automatic” the tachometer needle does not reach the cut-off (6000 rpm), stopping at 5500 rpm, but in the “manual” it just stretches to the limit of its capabilities.
In the “standard” one is not overjoyed at the work of the variator!
Some decipher the letter "S" as "sport" (Sport), and they are not far from the truth. The Mercedes A-Class briskly leaves the start, shifts without hesitation and makes other motorists respect the compact Mercedes class. For connoisseurs of a comfortable and economical driving style, there is a mode "C" (Comfort). Here, the dynamics and speed of gear changes are sacrificed to the increased smoothness and quietness of movement.
The modern Mercedes A-Class is a simple and pleasant car to handle. This applies to both the lightweight steering wheel (with electric power steering) and the perfectly tuned (and not disabled) ESP system, which protects from skids and arrogant drivers from themselves. However, the suspension is not tuned for a comfortable ride, and Mercedes-Benz has reasons for this (there are still journalists in Sweden :)).
Prices for the Mercedes A-Class car.
In the Russian market in 2011, a modification of the Mercedes-Benz A-class A180 is offered. The cost of this Mercedes-Benz A-Class starts at 795 thousand rubles.
