The V177 A-Class Sedan makes its debut in Malaysia. The compact four-door will
come in the same variants and similar levels of kit as its hatchback sibling. With the
separate boot comes a slight price premium – the A 200 Progressive Line retails
at RM 229,888, while the A 250
AMG Line gets a RM 267,888.
Design-wise, the
sedan retains the hatch’s low shark nose front end, featuring tapered
headlights and a trapezoidal grille with a dinner plate-sized three-pointed star.
Also retained is the strong shoulder line, simple upswept character line lower
down and a sweeping glasshouse, while the rear gets angular two-piece tail
lights that decorate the pert rump, emphasising the car’s width.
The twin 10.25-inch
instrument and infotainment displays utilise the new Mercedes-Benz User
Experience (MBUX) interface. The main highlight is a voice control system with
natural speech recognition – using the phrase “Hey Mercedes,” users can operate
key features such as the air-conditioning and navigation, and the system will
also learn their preferences over time using artificial intelligence.
Under the bonnet,
the A 200 now uses a smaller 1.33 litre M282 four-cylinder turbo engine,
developed in conjunction with Renault. It makes 163 hp at 5,500 rpm and 250 Nm
of torque from 1,620 to 4,000 rpm, and when paired to a new Getrag seven-speed
wet dual clutch transmission, it results in a zero-to-100 km/h time of 8.1
seconds, a top speed of 230 km/h and a combined fuel consumption figure of 5.4
litres per 100 km.
The A 250 gets a revised M260 version of existing 2.0 litre
mill, churning out 224 hp at 5,500 rpm and 350 Nm between 1,800 to 4,000 rpm.
It hits 100 km/h in 6.3 seconds, reaches a top speed of 250 km/h and delivers
fuel consumption rated at 6.3 litres per 100 km. This one gets a revised
version of Mercedes’ own DCT, which is also a wet clutch unit.
