2013 Mercedes A-Class launched in India at Rs 21.3 lakh
Mercedes has launched its A-Class in the country. Available in two engines and two trim levels, prices for the A-Class start Rs 21.3 lakh for the A180 CDI Style diesel and Rs 22.73 lakh for the A180 Sport petrol ex-Mumbai. The petrol engine is the same one from the bigger B-Class and makes 122PS from its 1.6-litre turbocharged unit. Mated to this engine is a 7-speed dual clutch transmission. In our tests, the A180 Sport reached the 100 kmph mark from nought in 9.6 seconds and just about nudges the 200kmph top speed. The second engine, the 2.2-litre 4-cylinder engine is new and makes 110PS/260Nm. Mercedes claims that the A180 CDI can touch 190kmph. ARAI certified fuel efficiency for the A180 Sport is 15.5kmpl while the A180 CDI Style claims 20.07kmpl. Across the world, the new A-Class has garnered more than 90,000 bookings since its global launch some months back.
The A-Class isn't your quintessentially Merc which can be chauffer driven. Instead, Mercedes wants owners to drive their A-Classes. The seats are said to be inspired from F1 cars and the upholstery is done in ARTICO, a form of premium artificial leather. Mercedes claims that the A-Class' infotainment system can actually read any format of music file and from any source. As far as features are concerned, the A-Class gets a tyre pressure loss warning system, hill start and hold assist, acceleration skid control, adaptive brake lights, ESP, ABS, a reverse camera and seven airbags as standard. The boot space stands at 341 litres, which nearly triples to 1157 litres with the rear seats folded.
Mercedes is offering the new A-Class with unique service products like Star Ease and Star Care. Spare parts of the A-Class are priced lower than that of the other cars from Mercedes-Benz India's stables. The fourth year extended warranty of the A-Class, Mercedes says, will be available only at one per cent of the vehicle's cost.