Remember the first-generation Mercedes-Benz A-Class? What a clever little car.
‘Little’ being the operative word, because at just 3.57m long, it packed loads of space into its interior, thanks to intelligent ‘sandwich’ packaging, which enabled the engine to be pushed beneath the passenger cell in an accident.
2018 Mercedes-Benz A-Class revealed
The original A-Class was light, too, yet despite the compact length and light weight, it could squeeze 390-1740 litres of luggage space into that 1000kg door-stop body.
Problems? It wasn’t cheap enough to make and maybe too few people bought it, although it did top a million sales during its life. Deservedly so, because it was, conceptually, brilliant.
When it comes to radical invention on today’s A-Class, look to the headliner: new communications and entertainment systems, and semi-autonomous driving. This is what makes an A-Class special these days and that’s fine: it’s what sells, after all, and what customers like is the current A-Class.
Opinion: The new Mercedes A-Class is a surefire winner
So it grows, as conventional cars do, to give more room inside, so it also gains more outside. The body itself is stiffer, which should let Mercedes improve the dynamics and ride quality, too.
But here’s the thing: with a length of 4.42m, the new A-Class is 0.85m longer than that 1997 version. To cram in more interior space, see. So much that the boot is now only 20 litres smaller than the original’s...
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Mercedes-Benz A-Class review
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So, now the same length...
...as a '93 MB 190
For me it was the best
1st gen in LWB form, 3.77m in length and space for a family to stretch their legs (same legroom as the S-Class) and their luggage. Plus it was one of the few Diesel family cars with an auto 'box (which broke down horrendously, I concede). Loved it to bits. For someone living in a traffic-plagued city like Rome it was pure bliss. The second gen lost some of the practicality even though it looked posher on the inside. Third gen was nothing special; obviously the majority of Merc A-Class value sportiness and badge snobbery over packaging. I guess that is why I am no longer a Mercedes customer.
Allelujah!
Great point, well made. To those going 'but everything else about the original A Class was crap' (I paraphrade), you are missing Mr Prior's point: real innovation is sorely lacking in the market these days. There are, of course, good commercial reasons for that (most people are adverse to change), but as a car enthusiast, I lament the timidity of manufacturers these days. The new A Class adds nothing of real world value to car design, and a huge and profitable, up-market company like MB should be more of a design adn engineering pathfinder. If it can't be, what chance anyone else.