Mercedes-Benz A-Class Limousine – Road Test Review
Mercedes-Benz India’s Number One Premium Luxury Car maker had showcased the A-Class Limousine at the 2020 Auto Expo in Delhi. The scheduled launch got delayed due to the Covid Pandemic but now the German car maker is all set to launch their most affordable Sedan from their lineup. We were back in lovely Goa to get behind the wheels of the A-Limo to taste and flavor the latest German sedan that has big plans to take heads on the likes of the BMW 2-Series and the Audi A3. Here’s our detailed road test review of the All German sedan the Mercedes-Benz A-Class Limousine right here for you that comes from warm and cozy Goa.
Food for Thought
The A-Class Limousine replaces the CLA in the lineup for Mercedes-Benz. India gets the V177 which is the sedan version of the A-Class while the W177 is the hatch version and the Z177 is the long wheel base version only for the Chinese markets. The A-Class Sedan was revealed at the 2017 Shanghai Motor Show while the long wheelbase Z177 was unveiled at the 2018 Auto China Show, featuring a 60 mm (2 in) longer wheelbase and is sold exclusively in China. India becomes the 7th country after Germany, China, Finland, Hungary, Mexico and Thailand to assemble the A-Class Limo. The A-Class hatchback officially debuted at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show based on the front-wheel drive MFA2 (Modular Front Architecture) platform. Along with the Petrol and Diesel versions India also gets the AMG version the A35 which also will be assembled here in India at the Chakan plant of Mercedes-Benz.
Exteriors
The Mercedes A-Class Limo as we will be calling it stands at 4549mm in length, 1796mm in width and 1446mm in height. The sedan has a overall wheelbase of 2729mm making it the largest sized car in its class. Getting to the looks of the car the A-Class Limo sports the latest Mercedes-Benz grille with black mesh styling elements and the large three pointed star logo embossed that’s placed on the silver frame with chrome bands.
The high performance LED Headlights get a nice rounded styling and also a unique DRL in them. The front bumper also gets a wide air dam under this grill and also faux air dam inserts in black on either sides. The sloping bonnet comes with two character lines on either sides that mate with the bumper smoothly. The A-Class Limo is the world’s most aerodynamic car with a record drag coefficient of CD 0.22. Everything on the A-Class Limo is extra smoothly designed to enhance aerodynamics.
Coming to the sides the A-Class Limo sports a rather straight roofline unlike the CLA which had a sloping roofline that ate away into the headroom. The sides are further styled with a sharp shoulder line that runs from the fender to the rear pillar. Door handles get body color paint while the glass area get chrome inserts running around them along with glossy black B pillars. Wing mirrors are door mounted and come in dual tone finish with integrated LED turn lights. The A-Class Limo drives on 17 inch light alloy wheels in trendy star design finished in dual tone color.
The rear profile of the A-Class Limo is largely highlighted with the triangular design All LED tail lamps that come with adaptive feature. Boot styling is typical Mercedes with the Star logo making things look more smarter here. The rear bumper gets neatly integrated stop reflectors while the lower section is finished in black and sports two exhaust with chrome tip and also a chrome strip that runs across the lower section of the bumper.
The A-Class Limo also gets a panoramic sun/moon roof on the package. Noteworthy here is that Mercedes-Benz will only be getting the fully loaded trim of the Limo which comes loaded with all features inside out so what you see is what you get.
Interiors
Step inside the A-Class Limo and you are instantly welcomed into some high class Mercedes-Benz level premium cabin area. The dashboard is made of some premium soft material that just feels nice to touch, the top part of the dash is in black while the middle layer gets real wood insert while the bottom dash is finished very neatly with round edges in light beige finish. The AC vents get the unique round turbine design and mounted on glossy black base finished in chrome. You get 5 AC vents in all on the dash, two on either corners and three in the middle. Below this is the control module for the dual zone climate control finished in metal. The centre console gets glossy black wrapping around it and also comes with the Mercedes trackpad, wireless mobile charger dock, dynamic drive mode control button and other buttons to control the AVN system. The neat thing here is the inclusion of the trackpad rest cushion pad where you can place ur hand while using the modes on the trackpad.
You get a neat closable storage bin that doubles up as your armrest. The A-Class Limo gets five USB C-type mobile charge points. The AVN system on this sedan is a 10.25 inches screen that mates with another 10.25 inch screen which is the instrument cluster all in typical Mercedes style. Needless to say the system is loaded with the latest generation MBUX along with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth phone connectivity, radio etc. The screen is extra clear especially when used in the reverse camera monitor mode, easily the sharpest of the screens we seen on any car lately. Coming to the instrument cluster well this again is a highly informative color screen that seamlessly gels with the AVN screen making one single block of screen.
You have all the needed information and tell tale warning lights on this high definition cluster. The steering is a three spoke design that comes with some very premium leather wrap along with hand stitching. You get metal inserts with glossy black base where the MFD control buttons get mounted. Manual adjust is available for height and reach while you also get paddle shifters as standard.
Coming to the seats, you get some premium leather upholstery in beige that also feels very nice to be on. Both the front seats get full electric adjust and loads of space is available. Manual adjust for under thigh support is also available on both the front seats. Rear seats get 40-20-40 split folding ratios with three manually adjustable head rests and a folding arm rest with cup holders. There is loads of leg room, knee room shoulder room along with some good headroom especially due to the straight roofline and the length of the car. Knee room gets further extended due to the scooped our type back of the front seats. Seating here is pretty comfortable for two passengers though a third person can fit in but would have to manage the transmission tunnel that intrudes in the middle. You get AC vents and USB-C charge points for the rear and good amount of storage space in the door pads along with map pockets.
The cabin feels very comfortable and the large glass area along with the panoramic sunroof further gets in more light to make things bright and roomy. Premium touches like metal inserts on the buttons, door pads etc make the cabin look, feel and appear very rich. There is a very high amount of satisfaction in here in whatever you touch or feel oozing typical high quality from Mercedes-Benz. The A-Class Limo has a huge boot measuring 405 liters that can swallow up 3 full sized suitcases plus more easily.
Engine – Transmission – Drive
The Mercedes A-Class Limo will be available in two engine options one Petrol and one Diesel, a AMG model is also on the lineup. The Petrol version of the A-Limo the A200 comes powered with the 1.4 L BS-6 4-cylinder engine that makes 163hp of power and 250Nm of torque. Transmission doing its duty here is the 7-speed Dual Clutch unit. Mercedes claims a fuel economy of 17.50kmpl on this version. The Diesel version that we drove the A 200d comes powered with the BS-6 2.0L 4-cylinder engine that makes 150hp of power and has 320Nm of torque. This engine comes with a 8-speed dual clutch transmission and Mercedes claims a fuel economy of 21.35kmpl for it.
We drove the A 200d and first things first the car feels extremely nimble, highly refined and very premium instantly. The engine is very smooth and always eager to lug ahead. Power delivery is intense and very quick. In terms of handling Mercedes have come a long way, their latest generation cars drive and handle at par with the best in the segment. The overall drive is very lively and always connected with some excellent feedback always from the steering.
The You also have the drive modes to choose from if you want to have some more fun. You can toggle between Eco, Comfort, Sport and Individual. If you want to have some more fun then we recommend the use of paddle shifters. The suspension setup is tuned for our road conditions and so has the ground clearance been increased. The tyre side wall is now 113mm which also helps in the overall ride quality.
The overall drive quality is a perfect blend between comfort, refinement and performance.
Safety & Tech Loading
In terms of features the Mercedes A-Class Limo comes with the latest generation MBUX with NTG 6, Mercedes Me connected car app, 64 color ambient lighting, Google home and Alexa integration etc. In terms of safety you get 7-air bags, radar based active brake assist, Mercedes PreSafe, 360 degree parktronics, ABS with EBD, ESP, Attention assist, tyre pressure monitor, adaptive brake lights etc.
Verdict
The Mercedes A-Class Limousine replaces the CLA, its has a lot more to offer than the outgoing model in terms of looks, styling, interior space, safety, tech features etc. The A-Class Limo will appeal to someone who is looking for a Mercedes under the C-Class but does not want to compromise on any of the features. It is a perfect car for a tech savvy, for someone who needs a Merc thats loaded till the brim and fits the bill too. Mercedes is only getting here the fully loaded trim for the A-Class Limo which is the right thing to do. It is a perfect car that shines all the way with some premium Mercedes trademark hallmark that ticks all the right chords for the buyer in the Rs. 40 to 45 Lakh premium car segment. Oh yes the icing on the cake is the Industry first 8 year warranty on the engine and gearbox for the A-Class Limo. Would we recommend you the A-Class Limousine? Well we don’t have any second thought in letting you know that this car stole our hearts.
Bookings for the A-Class Limo are now open with the launch scheduled for the 25th of March.
Words – Ritesh Madhok
Photography & Video – Govind Gadekar
