From：Greg Kable 2018-08-22 09:37:21
Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the standard wheelbase version of the new A-class sedan in a series of official photographs ahead of a world premiere for the new four-door at the Paris motor show in October.
Set for sale across European by the end of 2018, the price-leading Mercedes-Benz sedan model has been conceived to rival the Audi A3 sedan and the upcoming BMW 2-series GranCoupe in a growing global market for compact premium brand sedans.
The A-class sedan enters the German car maker’s line-up beneath the C-class sedan to become the Mercedes-Benz's most affordable four-door model.
Already unveiled in long wheelbase guise at the Beijing motor show in April, the sixth member of Mercedes-Benz’s compact car line-up, joins the A-class hatchback, B-class MPV, CLA, CLA Shooting Brake and GLA in an expanded number of models that will also include an Audi Q3 and BMW X1 rivalling SUV called the GLB by the end of 2019.
The A-class sedan adopts the same distinctive front end styling treatment as of the A-class hatchback, with a so-called predator face dominated by a prominent grille and angular headlamps that taper back into the leading edge of the front fenders.
It’s from the B-pillars back that the new Mercedes-Benz departs from the latest A-class hatchback, with which it shares its mechanical package, with a longer roof, longer rear doors and a longer rear overhang to accommodate a short boot.
At 4549mm in length, 1796mm in width and 1446mm in height, the standard wheelbase A-class sedan is 130mm longer, the same width and 6mm higher than the recently introduced fourth-generation A-class hatchback.
It also rides on the same 2729mm wheelbase as its hatchback sibling.
By comparison, the Audi A3 sedan measures 4458mm, 1796mm in width, 1415mm in height and boasts a considerably shorter 2637mm wheelbase.
From a historical standpoint, the new baby Benz is 129mm longer, 118mm wider and 56mm higher than the original Mercedes-Benz 190.
Mercedes-Benz says a relatively small frontal area and the extended rear overhang of the A-class sedan has played a key role in seeing it become its most aerodynamic model yet. With a new benchmark Cd of 0.22, it is claimed to slip through the air with greater efficiency than the German car maker’s previous aerodynamic champion, the CLA, which boasts a Cd of 0.23.
Inside, the new A-Class sedan adopts the same high-quality dashboard and advanced infotainment functions as the new A-Class hatchback, including Mercedes-Benz’s new MBUX operating system that introduces touchscreen control, conversational speech recognition and the ability for two users to connect to the internet simultaneously.
Mercedes-Benz is making big claims about the versatility of its latest compact model, suggesting it offers above average shoulder, elbow and headroom for front seat occupants and class-leading headroom for those in the rear. Its overall boot capacity, however, doesn’t quite match that of the smaller Audi A3 sedan at 420-litres versus 425-litres.
Mercedes-Benz confirms the A-class sedan will be offered with just two engines from the start of sales later this year, although further units are planned to join the line-up once production of the new four-door model is ramped up at the company’s Rastatt factory in Germany.
Included is a turbocharged 1.3-litre four-cylinder petrol engine developing 120kW and 250Nm of torque in the A200 sedan and a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel with 85kW and 260Nm in the A180d sedan.
Both engines come as standard with a six-speed manual transmission, though like its hatchback sibling buyers will be able to option the new front-wheel drive Mercedes-Benz with a seven-speed dual clutch automatic gearbox with steering wheel mounted shift paddles.
With the latter gearbox, the petrol engine is claimed to return combined cycle consumption of 5.2L/100km and average CO2 emissions of 119g/km, with the diesel boasting a respective 4.0L/100km and 107g/km.
Together with standard front-wheel drive versions of the A-class sedan, Mercedes-Benz also plans to offer a limited number of four-wheel drive 4Matic variants, including A35 4Matic and A45 4Matic models from its AMG performance car division.
The basis for the sixth member of Mercedes-Benz’s compact car line-up is the company’s MFA II platform. As with new A-class hatchback, it offers the choice of two different rear suspension layouts, with a torsion beam arrangement fitted to lower end models and a more sophisticated multi-link system set to appear on upper-end variants, including the new AMG models.
As well as being confirmed for production at Mercedes-Benz’s Rastatt plant in Germany, the new standard wheelbase A-class sedan will be the first Mercedes-Benz model to hail from a joint venture factory operated in co-operation Renault-Nissan located in Aguascalientes, Mexico.
Additionally, the long wheelbase variant of the new Mercedes-Benz model revealed earlier this year is planned for production at Beijing Benz Automotive – a joint-venture operation between Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation and Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler based in Beijing, China.
