Luxury models have emerged as the talk of the town in the Indian auto market, off late. Mercedes-Benz and BMW have gone length and breadth, and defied the contemporary logic of Indian minds that hatchbacks must be economically priced and SUV or sedans are top notch cars. The entry of Mercedes-Benz A-Class made an instant impact on the Indian auto market, while BMW 1 Series, also, did not left any stone unturned. Giving a pump to adrenaline, the German auto makers have proved that compact cars can be big, in terms of styling, performance and comfort departments.
In the styling department, A-Class comes as an outright gorgeous model, while 1-Series does not come as appealing at any point of imagination. Industry experts are of a view that the design of 1 series is similar to other BMW models, which offers slight uniqueness to aesthetics. On the other hand, every single designing element of A-Class reflects attractiveness, right from its diamond grille to the coupe like rear. Even tail lights and headlights of A-Class are much more appealing with LEDs playing magic. The similarly priced BMW variant, 118d, comes packed with 10-spoke, 16-inch wheels, which justifies its tag of being a sporty hatchback. The model from three-pointed star features 17-inch 5-spoke alloy wheels, as a apart of standard accessory. Coming at interiors, the strategy of BMW for extremely sharing designing elements across all its models is unlikely to work that well at exteriors, however the case of interiors is different.
At interiors, 1 Series exudes a feel of 3 Series, at least in the terms of designing. Its dashboard is quite big and appears quite occupied with wide centre console. But, it must be noted that the base 118d variant sans piano black inserts, which are offered within the Sport variants. Other features which lack in base variant are iDrive, front seat arm rest, information display, sport seats, electric seat adjustment and USB/Bluetooth connectivity, which seems quite astonishing for a luxury hatchback. Taking A-Class in concern, its enticing interior offers a warm welcome to occupants. Interestingly, the base variant of A-Class features a certain level of advancements, which can be clearly seen in the A-Class diesel as the model comes packed with 4-way lumbar support for the driver, electrically adjustable seat with memory package, auto dimming interior mirror, bi-xenon headlamps with washer and cruise control.
In terms of performance, A-Class diesel has been equipped with a 2.2-litre engine, which churns out a maximum power of 107 bhp along with a torque of up to 250 Nm. On the other hand, BMW 1 Series is incorporated with a 2.0-litre diesel engine, which pumps out a peak power of 143 bhp with 320 Nm of highest torque. In technical configuration, BMW is performing better the the engine of Mercedes-Benz; however difference is much more than it looks like. It must be noted that 1-Series happens to be a rear-wheel drive car, whereas A-Class runs on front-wheel drive, which is likely to make the BMW model heavier than its counterpart. However, 1 Series managed to be lighter than A-Class and it holds an advantage of over 120 kg.
Concluding the comparison between both models, it can be said that it is quite difficult to give a clean chit to any of the car. The model from BMW is not just faster and sharper, it keeps the driver happy behind the wheels. However, the base trim is not that appealing, owing to its small equipment list. In order to feel a real luxury car driving experience, individuals are required to shell out around Rs. 32 lakh for the BMW's Sport Line trim, which is significantly higher than the A-Class. Also, the higher amount demanded for BMW seems not worth spending.
