Mercedes-Benz, the German luxury car maker, finally unveiled the re-designed A-Class at the Geneva Motor Show. The event has already hosted luxury models like BMW 1 Series and Audi A3. Hence, Mercedes decided to introduced the A-Class in order to attract attention of auto enthusiasts. At the motor shows held at New York and Shanghai, the new A-Class had been already displayed by Mercedes as a concept car.
Addressing reporters at the Geneva Motor Show, Dieter Zetsche, the CEO of Mercedes' parent company Daimler, said, “We're looking for younger and more female customers.” According to him, the customers’ reaction regarding the car has been positive and the credit goes to the new design strategy, which he calls "an exclamation point." Zetsche further added "It visualises how we are changing the company."
As per company officials, those who appreciate the A-Class concept will be quite pleased with the production version. Prominent character line, which starts at the bottom of the front door and moves upward to the rear, can be still be seen in the final model. Two-bar grille and LED daytime running lamps feature in the front fascia of the car. Three trim levels are offered by the company, which include Style, Urban, and AMG Sport. The AMG Sport trim brings stylish bumpers, 18-inch wheels and red-painted accent pieces with it.
The luxury car maker has also provided various powertrain options in the Mercedes-Benz A-Class. As per details revealed by the company, direct injection and turbocharging feature are incorporated in the three gas-powered four-cylinder engines with displacement from 1.6 to 2.0 litres. ECO start/stop technology will be included in all gas and diesel engines, which will be mated with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic or six-speed manual transmission system. As emission of A-Class is less than 99 gram per kilometre, the car will deliver greater fuel efficiency.
As far as safety is considered, Mercedes-Benz A-Class has a long list of features, which include Hill-start Assist, Collision Prevention Assist and brake hold function. Adaptive Highbeam Assist and Distronic Plus are optional safety features available in the car. Although the model has been displayed at the Geneva Motor Show, the bad news is that it will not be available at retail outlets until 2014.
