Mercedes Benz A Class Out On the Roads

Mercedes Benz A Class is out on the roads. The new A-Class it looks far more enticing than the pre launch reports and is too good to believe. This new baby Merc is certainly attractive, especially at the front, where a wide grille feeds into the clamshell bonnet and into heavily scalloped sides. "A is for Attack." So said Daimler AG chairman Dieter Zetsche as he introduced the new A Class, a car that Mercedes Benz has designed from the ground. The A Class will give sneak shot of Mercedes brand for entry level consumers.

All the models come with turbocharged four-cylinder units. The A180 CDI features a 1461cc unit with 109bhp and 260Nm of torque. This comes mated to a brand new 6-speed manual. The A180 CDI comes with a 1796cc engine. The engine develops 109bhp and 250Nm of torque. The A200 CDI with the 1796cc unit develops 136 horses and whips out 300Nm of torque.

The A180 employs the 1595cc unit (122bhp and 200Nm) mated to the 6-speed manual. Next in line is the A250 with the 1991cc unit mated to the 7-speed dual clutch gearbox with 211bhp on tap and 350Nm of torque. Finally the A250 Sport is identical with a few graphics to make it look faster.

The seats are pretty good and supportive. The steering wheel is a neat new design. The cabin has more leg room than its predecessor. There is sufficient head room despite the sloping roofline and the 341-litre boot volume can be enhanced to 1157 litres of luggage carrying capacity by folding the rear seat back flat.

The A200 CDI with the new 6-speed manual gearbox gives figures of 0-100km/h in 9.3 seconds and a 210km/h top speed. Ride quality was firm with just the right amount of pliancy without upsetting the handling. Overall the dynamics are pretty nifty though typically Mercedes-Benz and even for the young brigade there is something. Given that the B-Class will start around Rs 24-25 lakh, the A-Class could prove a nightmare for Mercedes-Benz India to configure and sell at sensible money. The overall set-up delivers absolute stability at high speeds without compromising on the fun to drive agility factor. You can also check out the likes of the Mercedes E Class and the Mercedes Benz ML 350 CDI and Audi Q7.

Maruti Swift Dzire Auto Performance On the Road

Maruti Swift Dzire automatic is definitely nothing like its other counterparts. The old Dzire has already topped the charts and just when you thought that there is nothing else for the Dzire to conquer, the company has launched an automatic gearbox variant of the highly successful sedan. The new Swift Dzire makes the under 4 metre cut but let us see if it makes the people’s cut.

In terms of the looks, the new Swift carries on the mature image and improvises with curves, an extended hood and bigger head lights. The front end style remains the same but looks a lot more elegant.

On the inside you are in for an absolute delight. The delights come in the form of new steering wheel, new dashboard and dash of beige. There is also the option of two tone black colour scheme. The seats are spacious and comfortable and the cabin has a pretty premium feel to it. Like the back end design, the back seats however take a bit of a beating though the wheelbase of the new car is about 40mm longer.

In terms of the performance, the Dzire comes in both the 1.2-litre petrol and 1.3-litre diesel variants that are currently on offer in the new Swift. The Dzire now has the option of a 4-speed automatic gearbox in the mid-level VXi petrol variant. The new automatic delivers a power of 87PS @ 6000rpm and a torque figure of 114Nm @ 4000rpm. It hits the 100km/h in 16.49 seconds. Moving around city traffic, the drive is an absolute breeze and the neither the gearbox nor the engine feel laggy at any point. The steering is nicely weighted and carving corners on a twisty mountain road is as fun as it gets in this segment of cars.

The new Swift Dzire delivers a mileage of 16kmpl. The Swift Dzire automatic gearbox comes at an extra cost of Rs. 35,000. You can also check out the likes of Mahindra Verito and the Toyota Etios.

Mercedes Benz a Class 2012 Hatcback Revealed

Mercedes Benz A Class hatchback is the next big thing from the company to make its entry into the market. It is expected to be launched in September 2012 in Europe. The new babe from the stable of Benz will come with option of four diesel and three petrol engines mated to two different transmissions.

The new Mercedes-Benz will have trimmed down engines for its entry level cars. This is expected to improve the performance, mileage and also be a lot more ecofriendly with lower emissions. All the models will come with a stop/start system with a low drag coefficient of 0.27, turbo charging and improved fuel injectors will make them more efficient.

The engine is a 1461cc A 180 CDI type which powers up to 108PS and delivers an astonishing mileage of 26kmpl with just 98g/km of CO2 emissions which is the lowest of any Mercedes-Benz. All this credit also goes to Renault. Renault-Nissan and Mercedes-Benz inked a pact in 2010 to develop engines for small cars. The diesel A200 CDI with a 1.8-litre engine is already Euro VI compliant, emitting 111g/km of CO2. Its delivers 134PS of power and 300Nm of torque. The top of the line diesel engine is the A220 CDI, featuring a 168PS 2.1-litre engine with 350Nm of torque, and a 0-100km/h time of 7.8 seconds.

The A-Class will run on a 6-speed manual transmission, with the option of a semi-automatic 7-speed dual clutch 7G-DCT transmission. The top end A 250 will only have an automatic transmission, with three drive modes, Economy, Manual and Sport, and paddle shifters. Both transmissions were developed in sync and share many parts. The A-Class will be assembled in India. You can also check out the likes of the Mercedes E Class and the Mercedes-Benz ML 350 CDI and Audi Q7.