Story: RALPH MORTON
At last! A proper small Mercedes that should have most small business owners reaching for their cheque books and company car drivers persuading their bosses that the baby Merc should be on the company car policy choice list.
Not least for pricing that begins at £18,945 and a range of engines that has CO2 emissions starting from just 98g/km – read company car tax at only 13%.
There’s more choice too. There are five ‘model lines’ in Merc-speak depending on whether you want more standard specification or more aggrerssive and sporty styling.
There’s Apple iPhone connectivity, too, including SIRI compatibility (the iPhone’s voice command facility). Optional Drive Kit Plus extends functionality through the in-vehicle display, controlled via the centre armrest.
The A-Class might be the smallest in the Mercedes range, but it’s big on safety.
In addition to anti-skid ESP, there’s radar-based COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST to help avoid nose-to-tail collisions, and ATTENTION ASSIST, which monitors driver behaviour for signs of tiredness beore issuing driver alerts.
The A-Class range, with prices from £18,945, goes on sale in December 2012.
Here’s the model lines in brief – pricing and CO2 emissions follow in the table.
A-Class
Six-speed manual; fabric upholstery; Audio 20 CD/radio with 5.8” colour display; MP3, WMA and AAC-compatible; aux-in socket; USB port within the centre armrest, Bluetooth and Becker Map Pilot pre-wiring.
SE
Adds 16” 10-spoke alloy wheels; sports seats in a fabric and ARTICO stripe design; Nappa leather steering wheel; fabric trim parts with stylish contrast stitching; and Audio 20.
Sport
Twin exhausts; 17” bi-colour five-twin spoke alloy wheels; perforated Nappa leather steering wheel, ARTICO trim parts with contrast stitching, sports seat, Audio 20, cruise, rain sensors and interior ambient lighting.
AMG Sport
Dynamic Handling Package with sports suspension; perforated disc brakes and cruise control with Speedtronic, AMG bodystyling; 18” AMG five-spoke alloy wheels; AMG floor mats and door sill panels; flat-bottomed perforated Nappa leather sports steering wheel, Alcantra trim parts with sporty red stitching, sports seats in ARTICO and Dinamica, rain sensors, ambient lighting and Audio 20.
Engineered by AMG
AMG sports suspension; red brake callipers; 18” AMG twin-spoke alloy wheels, and 235/40 R18 tyres; bi-xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights; red trim parts in the front and rear bumpers; privacy glass; red seat belts and air vent rings; and wheel arch and floor mats with Sport badges.
Night and Exclusive Packages
Sport and AMG Sport model lines can be customised by company car drivers with two optional packages.
Night offers privacy glass; black gloss beltline and mirror caps; dark 18” alloys; lamella grille with black gloss and chrome accents; and bi-xenon headlights with LED day time running lights.
Exclusive includes ARTICO stitched upper dashboard and leather upholstery; four-way lumbar support; heated front seats; armrest with stitching and velour floor mats.
As yet Mercedes has no details of the business car finance offers available to small businesses.
Why not also this?
Here’s the unveil of the car in the UK: First sneak peak at Merc’s new A-Class
New Mercedes-Benz A-Class pricing
A 180 BlueEFFICIENCY
£18,945.00
A 180 BlueEFFICIENCY SE
£20,125.00
£21,575.00
A 180 BlueEFFICIENCY Sport
£21,240.00
£22,690.00
A 200 BlueEFFICIENCY Sport
£22,765.00
£24,215.00
A 200 BlueEFFICIENCY AMG Sport
£24,015.00
£25,465.00
A 250 BlueEFFICIENCY AMG Sport
£26,855.00
A 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY Engineered by AMG
£28,775.00
A 180 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY SE
£21,200.00
£22,650.00
A 180 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY Sport
£22,195.00
£23,645.00
A 200 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY Sport
£23,270.00
£24,720.00
A 180 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY AMG Sport
£23,445.00
£24,895.00
A 200 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY AMG Sport
£24,520.00