New A class

[GTIR]

Popped into Merc today and saw a German registered A class.

It's a cross between a BMW 1 series and a Astra coupe.
True to form Merc has produced a dull and wet new car.

Also. They quoted me 30 mins labour to swap front wheels over whilst my car is already there having stuff done.
I said don't worry about it.

30 mins!

[P K Wright]

Can see what you mean but I quite like it:

[GTIR]

I don't understand why they called it an A class as it looks nothing like the previous model. Maybe they're running out of early letters. D class sounds a bit naff.

[anonymous-user]

Why does it need to look like the previous model to be called an A Class? It's their smallest model still, and smaller than a B.

[Crafty_]

If you want a "mini MPV" shape like the old car just go and buy a B class.

A class needs a 3 door model imho, I'm sure one will arrive sooner or later.

The AMG engine looks interesting.

I'd buy one over an Audi/BMW (especially that ugly 1 series couple thing).

Don't understand the "it looks like an astra" comments (seen them elsewhere too), sort of whispered and accompanied with a giggle. Vauxhall (or rather, Opel) have moved seriously up market in the last 4-5 years. Look at the well specced GTC models which are comparable on price (ish).

[MLAM]

The line on the rear door to the front is probably why people say it looks like an Astra, granted it isn't strictly a bad thing as the current Astra is actually a nice looking car as well as the Insignia.

All the pictures seen is the souped up ones with the body kit and big wheels, my local dealer had a "Rep mobil" model in their showroom which was a A180 CDI SE, in white paint and 16" alloys, all I'll say is it didn't have the same effect as the AMG Sport in Red outside the showroom.

Also I couldn't help noticing the over £21k price tag for a bog standard SE model with a mirror package as the only optional extra, granted it is 99g cO2 so its tax exempt but the 116ED does that too with more power.

Not for me, I'd rather have a 1 series if I was forced to have a car in this sector.

[Deva Link]

MLAM said:

All the pictures seen is the souped up ones with the body kit and big wheels, my local dealer had a "Rep mobil" model in their showroom

I wonder if that's where these cars are aimed - a heck of a lot of company car lists that switched from Mondeo & Vectras to 3 Series now seem to have switched to 1 Series.

I guess that's mainly a UK thing though, and MB didn't make it just for the UK.

It seems a bit odd as surely a huge proportion of buyers of the old A Class would have bought it for the type of car it was and now that (fairly) unique design has gone, MB is going to have to find a whole new set of customers.

[Crafty_]

Why has it gone ? they just buy a B class instead.

Far as showing pictures of the glitzy sports versions, don't all manufacturers do this ?
Granted the normal ones do look rather boring.

[Waugh-terfall]

Mercedes needed something to compete directly with the likes of the Audi A3, VW Golf, BMW 1-series etc etc, the previous A-Class and the B-Class have always been slightly awkward siblings in the model line-up, Mercedes falling short on being capable of offering their customer base a regular hatch, thus losing sales to rivals, now the B-Class takes over from the A as the jacked up hatch, a Golf Plus, if you will, so they're now no longer stepping on each others toes and each sector has its model. Far more sensible.

[ralphrj]

Waugh-terfall said:

Mercedes needed something to compete directly with the likes of the Audi A3, VW Golf, BMW 1-series etc etc, the previous A-Class and the B-Class have always been slightly awkward siblings in the model line-up, Mercedes falling short on being capable of offering their customer base a regular hatch, thus losing sales to rivals, now the B-Class takes over from the A as the jacked up hatch, a Golf Plus, if you will, so they're now no longer stepping on each others toes and each sector has its model. Far more sensible.

^^^This

As clever and unique as the previous A-Class was it did not appeal to as many car buyers as more conventional offerings from BMW or Audi. The sandwich floor construction also added weight and cost and due to the packaging constraints needed a separate family of engines and gearboxes to the rest of the MB range.

[Hugo a Gogo]

Merc are also doing a Kangoo badge-engineered car to appeal to the 'high-roof' buyers who might have thought about the old A-Class

[Deva Link]

Crafty_ said:

Why has it gone ? they just buy a B class instead.

B Class is a lot bigger - they're bigger inside than an E Class. Being used quite a lot as taxis in Germany - but they had to fit extra soundproofing as the engine noise was disturbing residents when bringing people home late at night!

B Class came out just as I got a C Class and I thought it might wipe out the C Class but that never happened. They're a lot more popular in other countries than they are in the UK.

[va1o]

I've had a sit inside a LHD version, seemed nice enough but its just a clone of the Audi A3 and BMW 1-series now. The old one was clever and quirky with its sandwich floor layout and offered something different that other manufacturers didn't.

Having said that, as with a lot of new Mercs the leasing prices are very tempting. The A180 CDI BeF AMG Sport can be had for under £200 a month, and that's including VAT! Shame it uses a 1.5 Renault sourced diesel though...

Hugo a Gogo said:

Merc are also doing a Kangoo badge-engineered car to appeal to the 'high-roof' buyers who might have thought about the old A-Class

No, the Kangoo badged Merc (called the Citan) isn't sold over here and its a van - not a car, and as such only has room for driver and passenger.

[MURRAY007]

va1o said:

No, the Kangoo badged Merc (called the Citan) isn't sold over here and its a van - not a car, and as such only has room for driver and passenger.

correct in saying it's called the Citan, but it is sold over here. (have you not seen the massive billboards)

[Deva Link]

va1o said:

Shame it uses a 1.5 Renault sourced diesel though...

I think that's considered to be quite a good thing?

Renault must make a lot of those engines, it's also used in Dacias and Nissans.

[Hugo a Gogo]

va1o said:

Hugo a Gogo said:

Merc are also doing a Kangoo badge-engineered car to appeal to the 'high-roof' buyers who might have thought about the old A-Class

No, the Kangoo badged Merc (called the Citan) isn't sold over here and its a van - not a car, and as such only has room for driver and passenger.

what's this then?
http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/mercedes-citan-d...

OK, maybe not in the UK, but the UK isn't the only market and the only reason why Merc build cars

[MURRAY007]

Hugo a Gogo said:

va1o said:

Hugo a Gogo said:

Merc are also doing a Kangoo badge-engineered car to appeal to the 'high-roof' buyers who might have thought about the old A-Class

No, the Kangoo badged Merc (called the Citan) isn't sold over here and its a van - not a car, and as such only has room for driver and passenger.

what's this then?
http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/mercedes-citan-d...

OK, maybe not in the UK, but the UK isn't the only market and the only reason why Merc build cars

THAT IS THE CITAN, it's even in the title link.

[Hugo a Gogo]

MURRAY007 said:

Hugo a Gogo said:

va1o said:

Hugo a Gogo said:

Merc are also doing a Kangoo badge-engineered car to appeal to the 'high-roof' buyers who might have thought about the old A-Class

No, the Kangoo badged Merc (called the Citan) isn't sold over here and its a van - not a car, and as such only has room for driver and passenger.

what's this then?
http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/mercedes-citan-d...

OK, maybe not in the UK, but the UK isn't the only market and the only reason why Merc build cars

THAT IS THE CITAN, it's even in the title link.

YES it's the Citan which is a badge-engineered Kangoo, which has 5 seats and is a car

[MURRAY007]

Hugo a Gogo said:

YES it's the Citan which is a badge-engineered Kangoo, which has 5 seats and is a car

i agree with the re-badged kangoo statement, yes merc have just put there badge on a already renualt vehicle. BUT it will be advertised as a van.

Mercedes have shared info with renualt and vice versa, we will be using some on there twingo in our new smart cars.

Also some of out AMG technology will be going to Aston Martin. and also Ducatti.

also out new S-class will have 360-degree all-round vision, DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist, Brake Assist system BAS PLUS with Cross-Traffic Assist, PRE-SAFE® Brake, Active Parking Assist, stereo camera and multistage radar sensors, tail lights with multi-level functionality, Traffic Sign Assist, Adaptive Highbeam Assist PLUS , active seat-belt buckle and the beltbag.

[Hugo a Gogo]

??? what's that got to do with anything?

Merc have brought out a 5 seat passenger car, which is the same as a Kangoo

marketed as a van or a bus or a train, it's a car

(ze germans call all MPVs 'vans' anyway, even the old A-Class)