Mercedes A Class to launch with 1.6L petrol and 2.2L diesel engines on May 30

20/05/2013 - 16:13 | Mercedes A-Class, Mercedes-Benz | Shrawan Raja

Indian Autos Blog has learnt that Mercedes-Benz India has configured the A Class with a 1.6-liter petrol engine capable of producing 122PS of power and 200Nm of torque, and a 2.2L diesel engine putting out 110PS of power and 250Nm of torque.

Mercedes A Class front fascia — The A Class launches in India on the 30th of May in petrol and diesel variants.

The car launches into the market on the 30th of May, while Mercedes would continue holding launch parties until then in important cities.

Mercedes A Class comes only in A180 variant — Both variants come as the A180 with 'CDI' connoting diesel and 'Sport' connoting petrol.

Both variants will be the A180, either having the 'CDI' or the 'Sport' badge depending on the engine type.

Mercedes A Class front three quarters — The A Class is fully loaded with features such as a sunroof, seven airbags, electronic aids for safety, driving and convenience as well as bi-xenon headlights and leather interiors.

The 2.2L diesel engine borrowed from the C Class, and also used on the E Class, is tuned to return a fuel economy of 20kpl in the ARAI certification process. Mercedes offers the high capacity engine in select global markets as the A220 CDI variant, according to Wikipedia, though this variant doesn't show up in a Google search.

Mercedes A Class dashboard — This dashboard is common to all MFA Platform models (A Class, B Class, CLA Class and the upcoming GLA Class)

This diesel engine is also assembled in India for Mercedes Benz cars by Force Motors in Pune.

Mercedes A Class spare wheel placed in the boot — Boot space gets shockingly eaten up by the placement of the spare wheel.

The A Class is the smallest Mercedes Benz in the current range. It measures 4.29m long and weighs not more than 1.4 tonnes. Its aerodynamic drag coefficient stands at 0.27.

Mercedes A Class rear three quarters — The A Class quite simply the best looking hatchback in India today, perhaps in the world as well?

In another development, Mercedes Benz conducted a private launch party for prospects and existing customers at the Transcar dealership in Chennai on Saturday.

Mercedes A Class diamond grille — Central to the front-end design is the 'Diamond Grille' which is constituted by 302 pins.

The car presented at the event was the A180 with a diesel engine (A180 CDI).

Mercedes A Class swooping roofline effect on rear passenger comfort — This happens only in India - Everyone at the preview queued up to sit in the back seat, which offers good support all-around. The swooping roofline does have an impact on the rear seat comfort by cutting down visibility.

Through a preliminary brochure, Mercedes Benz discloses the features that the A Class will come fitted with.

Mercedes A Class sunroof — However the large sunroof should bring more than the required amount of light into the cabin.

Mercedes A Class features for Indian market

Attention Assist
Hill Start Assist
Brake Assist System
Bi-Xenon headlamps
A total of seven airbags, ABS and ESP
Acceleration skid control (ASC)
Adaptive Brake Lights
Electronic parking brake
Tyre pressure loss warning system
Start-Stop system
Paddle shifters
14.7cm display with TFT technology
Audio player can read WMA, MP3 and ACC formats.
Songs can be streamed using Bluetooth, AUX-in and USB, through a six-speaker sound system.
Panoramic sunroof

[With features like a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox, paddle shifters and well-bostered seats, driving experience may also be fun]

Mercedes A Class side view — The A Class maybe small in size, but its features and appeal are big.

There's no word on the pricing but there's a feeling among prospective buyers and fans today that Mercedes may not price this car under 25 lakh rupees in India.