First Drive Review
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A good small car—and a suitable preview for the derivatives we’ll see here.
Fifteen years ago, Mercedes-Benz saw room below its traditional portfolio of rear-wheel-drive sedans for something different. A car tall but short of length, with power routed through the front wheels and provisions for alternative powertrains, and with styling that wouldn’t tick the usual Benz boxes but instead would be funky and contemporary. The A-class was the result.
Audi had a different idea. It would take a corporate front-wheel-drive platform, dress it up with familial and sleek styling, pack in a ton of gadgets, and sell it at a premium price. That car was, of course, the A3.
The four-ringers’ idea was the better, much-copied one, and Mercedes-Benz has implicitly conceded defeat with the new, third-generation A-class. Mercedes’ CC (“Compact Car”) architecture, which forms the basis of the A-class and which will be shared with Infiniti, is decidedly conventional. Unlike with the innovative sandwich-floored first-gen A, there is no room to accommodate, say, a battery pack for hybrid or fully electric versions. (The latest Audi A3 will definitely offer a plug-in hybrid, and an electric model is still on the table.) Only the closely related B-class, which is taller and intended to be a people mover, can swallow a sizable battery pack, although it will compromise interior space.
Abandoning the previous model’s philosophy means the new A-class isn’t the most spacious thing going. But there is plenty of room up front, even as it took some experimenting to find a comfortable seating position. Neither the rear seats nor the trunk are particularly cavernous, but they will be large enough for most excursions or shopping trips.
Naturally, Many Engines—in Europe
The fully four-cylinder A-class model lineup starts with the A180, and it’s available with both diesel and gas-fired engines. Actually, the A180 is available with a choice of two diesels, although it’s not much of a choice. If you order a six-speed manual, you get the OM607, a 1.5-liter modified Renault unit with 107 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque—more on the Renault/Daimler tie-up here—while seven-speed dual-clutch models get a 1.8-liter Mercedes OM651 mill with the same output. We didn’t get to drive either of them. The gas-fired A180 uses a 1.6-liter four boasting 121 hp.
The A200 likewise is available in diesel or petrol flavors; the latter has a 154-hp version of the 1.6-liter four. The A200 CDI uses a 134-hp, 1.8-liter OM651 that’s smooth and flexible, delivering its 221 lb-ft from 1600 to 3000 rpm. It stormed up mountain roads with ease, rarely requiring a downshift below third gear. Only once you start to crest 100 mph does this mid-range diesel lose steam. For European customers who plan to explore triple-digit territory with regularity, the A220 CDI and its 168-hp, 258-lb-ft 2.1-liter is the better choice. This long-stroke variation of the OM651 is less polished and noisier than the 1.8, but those sins are sacrifices gladly made for the extra grunt. And even more twist is around the corner: A twin-turbo 2.1 diesel with roughly 200 hp and torque well over 300 lb-ft is a likely addition to the lineup; this engine is the one that will make it to U.S.-market Mercedes. It’s rated for 190 hp and 369 lb-ft in the GLK250 BlueTec that’s due here early next year.
But twist isn’t the sole province of the A-class’s diesel engines: 258 lb-ft comes courtesy of the gasoline-drinking, 208-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged four in the A250. It’s this engine we’ll see in the A-class derivatives headed our way, which include the swoopy CLA-class compact sedan and a crossover likely to be called GLA, and potentially others. (The CLA will take on the Audi A3 sedan, and the GLA will challenge the BMW X1 and Audi Q3.) With our estimated 0-to-60-mph time of 6.5 seconds and a governed top speed of 150 mph, the A250 is decidedly high-po among its competitive set. But this is no wild bronco; the A250 piles on speed effortlessly and with cold precision. (Our spec panel and performance estimates cover only those engines we feel are most likely to make it to U.S.-market vehicles.)
Specifications
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door hatchback
BASE PRICE (GERMANY, MINUS VAT): $23,700
ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter inline-4, 208 hp, 258 lb-ft; turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve 2.1-liter inline-4 diesel, 168 hp, 258 lb-ft
TRANSMISSIONS: 6-speed manual, 7-speed dual-clutch automatic with manual shifting mode
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 106.3 in
Length: 169.0171.5 in
Width: 70.1 in Height: 56.356.8 in
Curb weight (C/D est): 3350 lb
PERFORMANCE (2.0-LITER GAS/ 2.1-LITER DIESEL; C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 6.5/8.5 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 16.5/25.5 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 15.4/16.7 sec
Top speed: 150/130 mph
FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST):
EPA city/highway driving: 2.0-liter gas, 24/36 mpg; 2.1-liter diesel 31/43 mpg
Continued…