Merc A-Class tested
2005-08-28 14:40
Author: John Oxley
Why does a 2-litre diesel get the 1.8 nomenclature? No logical reason I can think of, but that's the way Mercedes-Benz is doing things these days.
I must confess that the previous model A-Class didn't appeal to me at all. Not only were its looks effeminate and "soft", but it was cramped, had a gloomy interior in the rear, and a questionable handling record that was only fixed by adding expensive traction control.
However, all that has changed, and although there are some aspects of the design philosophy that carry over from the old to the latest A-Class, these don't impinge on the car's attractiveness at all.
In short, the new A-Class is what the old one should have been, but didn't quite make it.
It's longer and wider, while it is more powerful and faster too... bigger and better in every respect, and sets a new benchmark for quality and versatility.
Inside
Equipment & quality
As to be expected from a Mercedes, the 1.8 CDI comes complete with power steering, front and rear electric mirrors, and electrically adjustable outside mirrors.
At the same time the car gets a new air conditioning system with user-friendly controls located on the centre console with rotary-type switches to adjust the temperature, air distribution and blower speed.
There are also controls for the air recirculation function and heated rear windscreen.
There are four pivoting rectangular vents in the instrument panel, four defroster vents for the windscreen and side windows and four vents in the front and rear-passenger footwells
The CDI models differ from petrol versions by having a newly developed PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) heating system, which is positioned behind the air conditioning unit's heat exchanger and activated automatically according to the outside temperature.
This results in very quick warm-up of the interior, great for cold mornings.
Several different levels of audio system are available for the A-Class; our car came equipped with the entry-level Audio 5 CD (optional) with FM/MW/ LW and SW receiver and front-loader CD player.
All Mercedes radios are linked up to the standard-fitted multifunction steering wheel.
And interesting feature is that from approx. 20 km/h the volume level is increased in stages to adjust for increased interior noise as the car goes faster.
This works most times, but at higher speeds one sometimes finds the need to turn the volume down a bit!
In the driver's seat
The A-Class has a flowing single-piece dashboard with an integrated instrument cluster containing circular instruments with chrome surrounds, black dials and white lettering and figures.
The speedo and revcounter dials are flanked by coolant temperature (left) and fuel level (right).
In the centre of the instrument cluster is a two-section central display. The top section indicates the daily and overall distance, the bottom outside temperature and time,
The driver has various options when it comes to adjusting the three-spoke steering wheel. A handle positioned underneath the steering column pulls out to allow full height adjustment (by +/- 20 mm), while the steering wheel is also available with additional reach adjustment (by +/- 30 mm) as an option.
The steering wheel also has multifunction buttons to operate the radio, navigation system and car telephone (where fitted) or to access information on the display in the instrument cluster.
The seats are vastly improved over those in the previous A-Class, especially in terms of comfort, side stability, design, and perceived quality. They also offer greater scope for individual adjustment.
Driver visibility is also much improved, with slimmer A-pillars and the removal of the window guides in the side windows allowing the driver?s angle of vision to be widened by 10% forwards and to the right and by as much as 25% forward and to the left.
Space & versatility
The latest A-Class is bigger than its predecessor, and this gets rid of one of the biggest complaints of the previous model - a shortage of rear seat space.
The new car benefits from extra room between the seats which, at 805 mm, reaches the level of a mid-range saloon.
Knee room in the rear has improved to a similar degree, while 53 mm has been added to the length of the load compartment floor.
The car is also wider by 45 mm, but better packaging, including redesigned door panels and relocation of the seats adds 97 mm to the shoulder room.
A significant comfort feature of the new A-Class is the modified seating position in the rear.
The floor structure has been lowered in front of the rear seats, with the effect that the rear passengers sit higher, and thus more comfortably, than in the outgoing model.
The compartments in the interior panels of the front doors have been designed to accommodate a road atlas and a 1 litre drinks bottle. In the rear door pockets there is enough space for drinks bottles or cans with capacity of up to 500 ml.
The centre console and tunnel trim also offer more stowage options than in the predecessor model. For example, an additional cup holder is located behind the gearshift lever.
The capacity of the glove compartment, which is cooled by the air conditioning system, has been increased to 8.5 litres, making it more than twice as large as in the outgoing model.
In addition to smaller items, this compartment also offers ample room for an A4 atlas and a CD changer for six CDs (optional).
Both front seats are fitted with an oddments tray which offers room for a telescopic umbrella.
Other practical extras include stowage compartments under the front seats and the luggage nets on the back of the front-seat backrests.
All that said, during the course of our test we took part in an out-of-town bike race. But there just wasn't enough room to stow the bikes properly without partially dismantling them, then working out an intricate way to get them both inside.
The load area just isn't long enough.
And that's despite the 1/3:2/3 split of the rear seating unit, featuring seat cushions and backrests that can both be folded forwards.
That said it is possible to produce a completely level loading area, while increasing the load capacity of the luggage compartment to as much as 1 370 litres.
Customers opting for the EASY-VARIO-PLUS system have the added luxury of being able to remove both rear seat cushions and the rear backrests.
This system also allows the backrest of the front passenger seat to be folded forwards and the front passenger seat to be removed completely. As a result, the load area increases in length to 2.75 metres, while maximum load capacity expands to 1 995 litres.
As the new A-Class comes as standard with the a tyre sealant kit, the spare wheel well serves as a practical and concealed stowage area.
The load compartment floor has a capacity of 67 or 118 litres, depending on its position. A further stowage compartment (4 litres) is located behind a flap in the panelling on the right-hand side of the boot area.
But you know what - I'd still prefer to have a proper spare wheel - or even a space saver!
On the road
Performance and refinement
The new rear axle design and selective damping system translates into much better ride quality than before, with no need for stiff shocks to keep the car on the road.
As a result ride quality is superb and smooth, even on some of our more pathetically surfaced national routes - the N2 springing readily to mind.
The new 80 kW turbo-diesel engine has 14% more power than that of the outgoing A 170 CDI, and has 250 Nm of torque available between 1 600 and 2 600 r/min, an increase of almost 39%, with 198 Nm - no less than 79% of the maximum torque - available from 1 300 r/min.
This translates into superb response, with little need to use high revs, and great fuel economy thanks to lower revs and the 6-speed manual gearbox.
Yet when you want to overtake it's easy to slip down a gear or two, and let the revs climb as you rush past and on your way.
High speed cruising is quiet and stress-free, and it's hard - as with most modern-day diesels - to believe you're in a diesel car.
Driving it
The latest A-Class has superb response on the road aided by, among other things, that improved suspension, a wider track and the extended wheelbase.
The net result was that I was very pleasantly surprised.
Although still giving a slightly "top heavy" feel on the road, this did not upset handling although it took some getting used to at first.
Pressing on, the car displayed a tad more understeer than I would have liked, and it wasn't quite as responsive as, say, a Golf or Megane, but, then, it's a different sort of car.
Certainly there's no propensity for the tail to flip out, thanks to the new suspension and the latest generation of electronic stability control, which also carries the option of tyre pressure monitoring.
Mercedes no longer has a button to allow the driver to switch off ESP, but it's an upgraded unit which allows for much sportier driving before intervening to prevent disaster.
The speed-sensitive electro-mechanical power steering adds to the feeling of driver precision, while the big brakes, 276 x 22 mm ventilated at the front and 258 mm solid discs at the back, with ABS and EBD, mean crisp and positive braking.
Conclusion
The latest A-Class is a big improvement on the previous model, in terms of its looks, its spaciousness, its ride comfort and, certainly on the diesel, in terms of economy.
However, it still doesn't possess the same sort of interior packaging as such opponents as the Renault Scenic or the Opel Zafira, nor does it offer as much driver enjoyment.
On the other side of the coin it does, however, have a cachet the others can't match - the Mercedes three-pointed star.
Pluses
- Refinement
- Performance
- Economy
Minuses
- Still not enough space