FastMotoring Motor News In Speed
Mercedes-Benz will premiere the new A-class at the Geneva Motor Show which will be happening from 8 to 18 March 2012. It will be making its way to European dealers in September 2012. We foresee that the new A-class will pitches into direct competition with the new Audi A3, BMW 1-series and bestselling – Volkswagen Golf.
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According to the German automaker, the company is opening up a whole new chapter in the compact segment: markedly emotive in design, with powerful engines ranging from 80kW (109 hp) to 155kW (211 hp), and extremely efficient, with emissions from just 99g/CO2/km. At the same time the new model underlines that for Mercedes-Benz safety is not a question of price – the standard specification includes, amongst other things, the radar-based Collision Prevention Assist system.
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“A is for Attack: the A-Class is a clear statement of the new dynamism of the Mercedes-Benz brand”, explains Dr Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars. “It is completely new, down to the last detail. In automotive development, it’s not often you get the chance to start with a clean sheet of paper. Our engineers and designers have made the very most of that opportunity.”
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A broad range of both petrol and diesel engines has something to suit every performance requirement, whilst also demonstrating the current state of the art in terms of efficiency: for the first time, a Mercedes-Benz will produce emissions of just 99 g of CO2 per kilometre.
The bandwidth of the new generation of petrol engines with a displacement of 1.6 and 2.0 litres ranges from 90kW (115 hp) in the A 180 and 115kW (156 hp) in the A 200 through to 155kW (211 hp) in the A 250. Common to all is the combination of direct injection and exhaust gas turbo-charging, a more advanced combustion process and an extended stratification range for lean-burn operation that uses fast-acting injectors for the multiple injection of the fuel as well as on-demand multi-spark ignition. CAMTRONIC is an innovation that will be celebrating its world premiere in the 1.6-litre engine: adjusting the valve lift on the intake side restricts the amount of fresh mixture used in the partial load range, so reducing consumption.
The diesel engines also offer an impressively high level of efficiency and environmental compatibility, thanks to sophisticated injection technology and turbo-charging. The A 180 CDI offers an output of 80kW (109 hp) and a maximum torque of up to 250Nm, while the A 200 CDI has a maximum output of 100kW (136 hp) and torque that rises to 300Nm. The A 220 CDI has a displacement of 2.2 litres, an output of 125kW (170 hp) and torque of 350Nm, delivering absolutely exceptional performance in the A-Class.
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All engines in the new A-Class feature the ECO start/stop function as standard. The engines can be combined either with the new six-speed manual transmission or with the 7G-DCT dual-clutch automatic transmission.
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Moreover, the performance specialists from AMG were involved in the development of the compact class from a very early stage. The result is the most dynamic version of the new model series – the A-Class Sport ‘engineered by AMG’, in which the visual affinity to the Concept A-CLASS is at its most evident – particularly in terms of the new diamond grille. The A-Class Sport features exclusive 18-inch AMG light-alloy wheels in a 5-spoke design with 235/40 R18 tyres all round and painted high-gloss black with a high-sheen finish, together with red-painted brake callipers. These give an indication of the particularly dynamic driving qualities of the A 250 Sport and the A 220 CDI Sport, which are differentiated, amongst other factors, by a special AMG-developed front axle and a suspension that has been configured to match.
Photo Gallery: 2013 Mercedes-Benz A-class
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