What’s more, the company will have the first-mover advantage in this segment, as rival BMW’s luxury hatchback, the 1-series, is expected here only later this year. The biggest hurdle in Mercedes’ path, however, is that Indians generally associate luxury cars with saloons, and more recently, SUVs. So the A-class’s success here hinges on more car buyers starting to accept premium hatchbacks as luxury offerings.
It certainly makes a good first impression – the A-class looks simply stunning. It’s a youthful, fresh design that is markedly different from the vast, regal look of traditional Mercs. The grille comprises 302 diamond-shaped aluminium bits, the headlamps are flared, and bold cuts and slashes run along the side of the car. The youth-focussed design continues with the wide haunches at the rear, the low roof, twin exhaust pipes and 17-inch smoked grey alloys.
The 1.6-litre turbocharged, direct-injection petrol engine under the hood of this A 180 powers the front wheels via a seven-speed, twin-clutch transmission. And, at 4,292mm long, 1,780mm wide and 1,433mm tall, it’s no ‘small car’; in fact it is almost as big as a Ford Fiesta saloon.
On the inside, there’s decent space in the rear by hatchback standards, although the sloping roof means the headroom is tight, and the small windows and black insides give it a cooped-up feeling. This back seat certainly won’t offer the comfort you associate with a luxury car, but then this car is meant to pander more to the driver.
Although Mercedes has skipped on electric steering adjustment and even a powered front passenger seat, there’s still plenty of kit; our test car had Bluetooth connectivity, seven airbags, ESP, Bi-Xenon headlamps and USB connectivity. Even the massive panoramic sunroof comes as standard.
The boot, with its 341-litre capacity, is big by hatchback standards, but for the Indian variant, the space-saver spare tyre sits inside (rather than beneath) the boot, eating into luggage space.
The one complaint we have about this particular A-class is that the engine lacks sufficient grunt. Considering the A 180’s 1,375kg kerb weight, the 1,595cc, four-cylinder turbo-petrol motor’s 122bhp and 20.4kgm figures are rather modest. However, it is quiet at idle and, at cruising speeds, has a reasonable amount of punch in its mid-range.
The car also handles very well and, for a front-wheel-drive car, there’s very little understeer; there’s great front-end grip and beautiful body control. It’s composed around corners and though the electrically-assisted steering may not be very feelsome, it is precise and quick to react. The A-class is also incredibly stable in a straight line. The brakes have great stopping power too, and the 21-metre 80-0kph braking distance we recorded in our test is one of the shortest we've ever done.
The ride on the A-class is decent, although it suffers over really bad roads and the suspension crashes over sharp bumps. However, for the most part, it handles what our roads have to offer impressively and the low-speed ride is particularly good. But the low stance can pose a problem with big speed breakers, and we did occasionally scrape the belly. Also, the cabin is not as well insulated from noise as most Mercs.
In the end, the A-class comes across a compact, premium and properly impressive runabout. It’s got almost everything we like about big Mercs — a solid build, high-quality interiors and a decent ride, all with a huge dose of youthfulness. The engine in the A 180 could’ve done with a little bit more grunt, but apart from that, there’s little to fault.
The bigger concern is whether or not Indian buyers will accept a hatchback as a genuine luxury car. But there’s a good chance the A-class, with its stunning looks and sheer desirability, could trigger India’s first compact luxury car revolution.
Video Review
Fact File
Price Range (in lakhs)*
| Ex-showroom price | Rs 22.73 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai) |
Engine
| Fuel | Petrol |
| Installation | Front, transverse |
| Type | 4cyls, 1595cc direct-injection turbo-petrol |
| Bore/stroke | 83.0/73.7mm |
| Power | 122bhp at 5000rpm |
| Torque | 20.39kgm at 1250-4000rpm |
| Power to weight | 88.72bhp per tonne |
Transmission
| Type | Front-wheel drive |
| Gearbox | 7-speed dual-clutch, automatic |
Dimensions
| Length | 4292mm |
| Width | 1780mm |
| Height | 1433mm |
| Wheel base | 2699mm |
Chassis & Body
| Construction | Five-door, monocoque, hatchback |
| Weight | 1375kg |
| Tyres | 225/45R17 |
| Spare | Space Saver |
Suspension
| Front | Independent, MacPherson struts, coil springs |
| Rear | Independent, coil springs |
Steering
| Type | Rack and Pinion |
| Type of power assist | Electric |
Brakes
| Front | Ventilated discs |
| Rear | Discs |
| Anti-lock | Yes |
Performance
| 0-60 | 4.30 sec |
| 0-100 | 9.76sec |
Economy
| Tank size | 50-litres |
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