New Mercedes A-Class review
Prices for the revised Mercedes A-Class start at £14,365
Author: David Miles
Published: 28 May 2008
Driving the new A-Class models last week in the former divided city of Berlin for the international press launch, taking in the historic sites including the infamous Berlin Wall, proved what we already knew about the A-Class.
It is a premium quality compact city car but with an elevated command driving position making it easy to drive and park.
Where both the A and B-Class models appeal is to those customers who need popular sized family cars but they want their products to be ‘premium’ in both quality and brand image, with a good level of specification and to some extent performance and fuel economy doesn’t matter, especially to retail buyers.
Company car users will be more interested in the BlueEfficiency models coming our way next Autumn and I have to report that their ECO Stop/Start system is excellent, probably the best around at the moment for the speed of its operation.
In all other respects the front-wheel drive A-Class is as before. It mostly provides a comfortable ride but it can prove choppy over poorer road surfaces, it is exceptionally easy to drive and to park thanks to the high-up driving position and being just less than four metres in length. The specification is all you could reasonably ask for at the price.
The fuel economy is better and the emissions lower and it looks smart with the styling updates. With prices starting at £14,365 a Mercedes becomes affordable and the best selling Classic SE A150 five-door at £15,115 is a bit of a bargain.
The enhancements for SE models include crash responsive emergency lighting (warning lights and interior lighting) and flashing adaptive brake lights, hill start assist, body coloured door handles, mirrors and rubbing strips, enhanced Telematics with Bluetooth, a carwash compatible aerial, large three-louvered grille, new front and rear light clusters and new style front and rear bumpers. Of course all the usual features such as power front side windows, air conditioning, airbags and split folding rear seats are all present.
It was just unfortunate that Mercedes in Germany did not have the UK’s likely best-selling model, the A150 petrol version for the Media to drive so we had to make do with the expected second best selling version, the A180 CDI turbodiesel.
This 2.0-litre unit has been given the better fuel economy treatment and should return around eight per cent better fuel efficiency. This is officially 54mpg, but our test car with the six-speed manual gearbox in Berlin city traffic, returned 30mpg.
Acceleration was adequate with 0-62mph taking 10.8 seconds and top speed is said to be 116mph.
MILESTONES
Mercedes-Benz A180 CDI, Classic SE 5-Door
Price: £17,215
Engine: 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbodiesel, 109hp, 250Nm of torque from 1,600rpm
Performance: 116mph, 0-62mph 10.8 seconds, 54mpg (30mpg actual for city driving), CO2 134g/km, VED Band C £120
Insurance group: 6 tbc
For: More of the same – but better, easy to park, easy to drive, relatively roomy, good storage space, well built badge desirability
Against: Some models are expensive, choppy ride, light and vague steering
Increasingly the supermini is the choice of car-buyers in an age where the economical, practical, easy to park and ´green´ small car is king.
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class has been crowned Best Luxury Car at the Auto Express New Car Honours for the third consecutive year.
New 2009 Kia Sorento to up SUV Crossover bar by going all Volvo XC60, Ford Kuga and Nissan Qashqai, and less orthodox 4X4. Remember though, premium Kia products, equals premium Kia prices.
Classic car owners and fans who turn up at Blenheim Palace event, will get to see historical Jaguars commemorated, whilst being able to bid on famous TV cars - all for free.
Mercedes-Benz will be the centre of attention at the 2008 Motorexpo this week, with its new CLC-Class coupe being readied for UK showrooms from June 12.
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