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| Road Test: Mercedes-Benz A-Class (2005-) |
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| Small Family |
by: Gavin Conway |
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Mercedes-Benz A-Class Gallery
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| PERFORMANCE RATING: |
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The new A-Class is considerably heavier than the old one, but this doesn't pose much of a problem for performance as power and torque has increased significantly across the engine range. The entry-level petrol engine is now a 1.5-litre unit developing 95bhp and 103lb ft of torque at 3500rpm.That's good for a 0-62mph sprint in 12.6, which is quicker than the previous base 1.4. The lowliest 1.6-litre diesel manages 62mph in an unremarkable 15secs and will struggle to reach 105mph. Slow, in other words. By comparison, the 140bhp 2.0-litre diesel is, relatively speaking, a hot hatch, recording 0-62mph in 9.5secs and a top speed of 124mph. That's quicker than the 2.0-litre petrol engine, but the 2.0-litre turbocharged engine is the rocket of the range, getting to 62mph in 8.0secs and on to a top speed of 140mph. Mercedes opted for turbocharging on its petrol 2.0-litre instead of the usual supercharger because it was much easier to package in the very tight confines of the A-Class's engine bay.
4Car drove the 136bhp petrol engine A-Class coupled with a five-speed manual gearbox. It did feel swift and very responsive, although it's not the most refined engine when pushed. The 2.0-litre diesel was a better driving experience, delivering waves of low-rev urge from its generous 221lb ft of torque. The new six-speed gearbox fitted was also a joy to use, with a direct and pleasingly mechanical feel to it. And while the 1.8-litre diesel didn't feel underpowered, we felt that the Autotronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) fitted to our car didn't get the best out of it. This is the first ever CVT transmission that Mercedes has offered, and at low and mid-range speeds, it is smooth and refined, doing away completely with the usual shift-jolts. At higher speeds with press-on driving, though, it can hesitate annoyingly and can be caught out with big on/off throttle applications.
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Introduction Seven years after its original launch, Mercedes-Benz has introduced ... |
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