Smaller Mercedes-Benz A-Class Sedan Breaks Cover

Three months after Mercedes-Benz took the wraps off of the A-Class L sedan for China, the manufacturer has unveiled the ‘standard’ (non long-wheelbase) version. Expectedly, it doesn’t look a whole lot different from its Chinese counterpart.

But there are differences that make it look more aggressive. A quick comparo of the side profile will tell you where the 60mm of wheelbase has been shaved off. The rear door on the Chinese-spec car is larger, and so is the boot. That’s not the case with the US-spec car, that features a cute-sy short rump. Take a quick look at the dimensions vis-a-vis the A-Class L -

Design highlights including Mercedes’ all-LED headlamps, the single-slat grille and the LED tail lamps are carried over as is. But, this is Mercedes-Benz we’re talking about. So, there’s definitely some function to go along with the form. The A-Class sedan has the lowest aerodynamic drag among all production vehicles. The co-efficient of drag (Cd), is a mere 0.22, which is better than that of the hatchback (Cd = 0.25), and on par with the original CLA. The manufacturer has gone to great lengths to ensure this was possible, including sealing the headlamp surrounds, optimizing front and rear wheel spoilers, and even fine tuning the rims and tyres. A two-part shutter system for the grille is available as option, that cuts airflow through the engine bay.

Save for the obvious reduction in space at the rear, the A-Class sedan is identical to its Chinese cousin. The slick dash design that debuted with the hatchback is mimicked in the sedan, with two large LCD screens (one for the instrument cluster and one for the infotainment), that appear to be one single, seamless piece of glass. It also gets a voice command feature that can be triggered by simply saying ‘Hey Mercedes’. How cool is that.

And, it gets better. Mercedes’ new A-Class has borrowed quite a bit of tech from the big daddy S-Class. This includes lane keeping assist, pre-safe and active brake assist. There’s a total of seven airbags offered as standard. Add the optional rear side airbags, and the total tally climbs up to nine.

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As far as engines go, the A-Class sedan gets two engine options - a 1.6-litre petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel. The petrol motor makes 163PS and 250Nm, whereas the diesel is good for 116PS and 260Nm. Both engines are paired with a 7-speed dual clutch transmission.

We’re expecting the A-Class sedan to make its way to India. If we had to place our bets, it’d be on the China-spec car, since luxury = big car in India. Expect a launch in the first half of 2019, with prices hovering around the Rs 35 lakh mark.