Mercedes Benz A Class to be priced below Rs.20 lakh, engine variants revealed

The engine lineup for the upcoming Mercedes-Benz A-Class has been revealed. The A-Class is expected to hit the Indian market by 2014 and may have a sub Rs. 20 lakh price tag.

In the international market, the A-Class will be offered in six engine variants which include three diesel variants namely the A 180 CDI, A 200 CDI and the A 220 CDI. The three petrol variants will be: The A 180, A 200 and A 250. It is not yet known as which among these engine variants will make into India-bound A-Class.

A-Class Diesel

The diesel engines for the A-Class get hydraulic mounts that help reducing the vibration and engine noise. Among the A-Class diesel engines, the base variant A 180 CDI is powered by a 1.5-litre motor that puts out 108 Bhp of power and 260 Nm of torque and returns a claimed mileage of 62 mpg (26.35 Kmpl). The car’s emission is 98 g/km of CO2, which is the lowest for any Mercedes model so far. It has to be noted that this 1.5-litre engine is derived from Renault.

The mid-variant, A 200 CDI is powered by Mercedes-Benz’s tried and tested 1.8-litre motor that puts out 134 Bhp of power and 300 Nm of torque. The A 200 CDI has a claimed mileage of 55 mpg (23.38 Kmpl) and emits 111 g/km of CO2.

The top-end variant, A 220 CDI is powered by a 2.1-litre engine that churns out 168 Bhp of power and 350 Nm of torque and can accelerate from 0 – 100 kmph in 7.8 seconds. The mileage and emission detail of this motor is yet to be revealed.

A-Class Petrol

The A-Class will be offered in three turbo petrol engines. The base variant, A 180 is powered by a 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine that puts out 120 Bhp of power and 200 Nm of torque. The claimed mileage for this engine is 43 mpg (18.28 Kmpl) and emits 128 g/km. The mid variant; the A 200 is powered by a 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine that puts out 154 Bhp of power and 250 Nm of torque.

The top-end variant, A 250 is powered by a 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine that churns out 208 bhp of power and 350 Nm of torque. The claimed mileage for this engine is 39 mpg (16.5 Kmpl) and emits 143 g/km of CO2. Despite offering impressive mileage, this 2.0-litre engine accelerates from 0 – 100 kmph in 6.6 seconds and hits a top speed of 240 kmph.

A few months ago, press photos of the upcoming Mercedes-Benz A-Class surfaced the internet ahead of the 2012 Geneva Auto Show. The A-Class looked similar to the A-Class concept showcased at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo. The new A-Class is a low-set, coupe-like and radically styled as against the tallboy designs of the present A-Class models.

The A-Class is an important car for Mercedes-Benz in the Indian market because it will likely be the most affordable Mercedes in India. The company may launch the B-Class Sports Tourer in November 2012 and the A-Class by end 2013 or early 2014.

The A-Class and B-Class will likely be the key contributors to the sales volume for the German luxury brand. However, it is yet to be known if buyers with Rs. 20 lakh budget may go for hatchbacks such as A-Class and B-Class when there are plenty of SUVs such as Toyota Fortuner and premium sedans such as Skoda Superb available in this budget.