Price when tested: INR 23,81,600 (ex-showroom, Delhi)
It was way back in May last year, when we first drove the new Mercedes A Class. We remember talking in great lengths about the new car’s high aesthetic appeal and how it manages to be a ‘driver’s car’, in spite of the FWD configuration! Several months down the line, we decided to re-visit this tasty li’l Merc and take her out for a spin in the mountains, with a diesel engine powering the car this time around. Here it is then, the Mercedes A Class A180 CDI review.
CLICK HERE to read our Mercedes A180 Petrol review
So is the diesel variant as much fun as its unleaded-sipping sibling? Is the A Class, which has been on sale in India for some time now, still as in-vogue as it was when it first appeared? Is the A Class as cosseting as the handful of Mercedes sedans we drove recently? With all such questions in our minds, we headed to our favorite mountain road leading up to Lavasa city in a Cirrus White Mercedes A180 CDI.
Read on for our answers to most of your questions, and to ours too!
Does the A-Class with its galaxy of stars on the grille still grab as many eyeballs as it did when it first arrived? Or has the initial sense of awe somewhat died down?
Oh, it still is as glamorous as ever! The current gen Mercedes A Class, in spite of internationally being nearly a couple of years old now, manages to look as alluring as it first did! We have always liked how the current gen A Class looks nothing like the last generation model. It truly reflects the revolutionary change with the German premium car maker’s design language.
The current gen A Class is far lower slung than the preceding model and the design of the new A Class communicates athleticism at the very first sight. The design stays quite true to that of the A-Class Concept and at standstill, the car looks like it is ready to pounce forward into action.
It is the front end that carries the most visual-drama. Other than the stylish headlights and a really sporty looking bumper, the front end also sports a distinctive radiator grille, which carries a galaxy of ‘diamonds’, arranged in an interesting concave pattern. Its notable that the diamond grille is not a standard fitment and requires you to pay extra for it.
In side profile , the car’s design reeks of athleticism and the small greenhouse makes it looks all the more sporty. Also, strong character lines, along with a well pronounced crease running across the length of the doors, make the car look longer than it actually is.
At the rear, the chunky looking taillights, which come with LED-incorporated C motifs, along with the wrap-around rear windscreen, make the car look wider and more sophisticated.
Overall, the Mercedes A Class is one of those designs which manage to hide their age quite convincingly and look suave and sophisticated even after years of existence.
CLICK HERE to read in detail about the new Mercedes A Class Design and Appearance
Flip to next page to read about interiors and ergonomics