Mercedes adds two diesel engines to A-Class line-up

Mercedes has introduced two new diesel engines to its Mercedes-Benz A-Class range, both of which sit above the existing entry-level A180d.

The models, the A200d and A220d, use new OM654 engines that conform to RDE 2 emissions standards, not compulsory until 2020. 

The engines are among the first to be RDE 2-compliant in the UK. As a result, business car owners will benefit from reduced benefit-in-kind tax: in 2017’s Budget, the Government announced there would be a diesel tax supplement of 4% for cars that do not meet the RDE 2 standard.

Diesel-powered A-Class models are expected to make up the lion’s share of the line-up’s sales. However, the diesel mix is expected to decline - in the last generation it accounted for 70% of sales - as a result of diesel falling out of favour. 

The A200d is powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine, producing 148bhp and 236lb ft of torque, while the 2.0-litre diesel in the A220d offers a 40bhp upgrade, and 295lb ft. 

With both engines, the A-Class can achieve at least a claimed 65.7mpg on the combined cycle, emitting 110-114g/km of CO2, meaning that both are likely to continue outselling petrol variants.