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With its sporty looks, Mercedes-Benz A-Class would be completely new, stylish, and packed with safety and high-tech features normally found on more expensive models like the S-Class. The car is making its world debut in production trim at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, but we first learned of the new A-Class at last year's New York and Shanghai shows, where Benz showed it in concept form, The A-class concept got people excited. Mercedes showed us a three-door hatchback with some attitude, and it promised derivatives would arrive here soon. The Euro-spec A-Class offers three: Urban, Style, and the aforementioned AMG Sport, though there's no word if the same strategy will be used in America.
Much of the interior matches what we’ve already seen in the B-class. It all looks nice enough, with metallic finishes on plastic pieces to impart the luxury feel the badge suggests. It’s also packed with enough tech to choke a Cray: an iPhone-integrating infotainment system, standard Attention Assist, and available nannies such as Mercedes’ Pre-Safe collision-prep suite, radar cruise and collision warning, automatic high beams, blind-spot assist, lane-keeping assist, and of course a rearview camera.
Fans of the A-Class concept's styling should be more than pleased with the production version. The side profile still features the prominent character line that starts at the bottom of the front door and dramatically darts upward at the rear door. The front fascia features Benz's now familiar two-bar grille and LED daytime running lamps, while there's a boxier look and a standard roof spoiler (it helps the hatch achieve a slippery, class-leading drag coefficient of just 0.26) at the rear. Opting for the AMG Sport trim nets 18-inch wheels, aggressively styled bumpers, red-painted accent pieces, and what the automaker calls a diamond-look front grille mesh.
The completely new engines and transmissions are not the only decisive factors in this exemplary efficiency. Thanks to the modular system it has been possible to select the optimally designed transmission for each diesel and petrol engine. The overall package is rounded off perfectly with progressive aerodynamics with a Cd figure of only 0.27, as well as a number of other improvements.
But back to the A-class at hand. It will be offered in Europe with the usual wide-ranging engine menu. Gas options include a 1.6-liter turbo four in 121- and 154-hp strengths (installed in the A180 and A200, respectively) and a 208-hp, 2.0-liter turbo four (A250). Diesel models include the A180 CDI (107 hp, 184 lb-ft), A200 CDI (134 hp and 221 lb-ft), and the 2.1-liter A220 CDI (167 hp and 258 lb-ft). All feature engine stop-start and can be paired with either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.
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