MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS LIMO

Can Mercedes-Benz India’s all-new A-Class be the doyen of affordable luxury?

- BERTRAND D’SOUZA

Type 1,332cc, inline four-cyl. turbo-petrol / 1,950cc inline four-cyl. turbo-diesel

Max power 163PS/150PS

Max torque 250Nm@1,620-4,000rpm / 320Nm@1,400-3,200rpm

LxWxH(mm) 4,549x1,796x1,446

Price ₹35-40 lakh (expected ex-showroom)

OD Rating

Good spec and space for its economical price

Chubby styling and over-assisted dynamics

Mercedes is all set to reintroduce the A-Class in India bringing back the car that was once its entry point for consumers into the 3-pointed star family with the A200 and the A200d. The new A-Class though is no longer a hatchback, Mercedes-Benz India smartly opting to go with a slightly longer wheelbase 3-box version that’s intended to attract an audience looking for more value from a compact package.

Just how compact is the A-Class, or how long is it? At 4.54 metres in length, it’s just half a metre longer than a sub 4-metre compact vehicle in India, and yet once you get inside the cabin, the thought that this is a small car seems absolutely ridiculous. And that is perhaps why, Mercedes-Benz India is attaching the moniker Limousine to the end of the nameplate in all its communication.