The A-Class: leading Mercedes' new generation compact car offensive

The first Chinese Mercedes-Benz A260 customer with Nicholas Speeks, president & CEO of Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales Co.

The all-new A-Class media launch event took place from April 15 to 19 in Shanghai. Photos Provided to China Daily

China's premium auto market is currently the second biggest in the world after the United States with sales of 1.25 million units in 2012. By 2016, it is expected to become the world's largest premium auto market.

Over the past few years, a new trend has emerged in China's burgeoning auto market - the rise of the premium compact car.

A McKinsey report published March this year confirmed the trend, noting that Chinese consumers are becoming more willing to exchange larger-sized premium vehicles for smaller ones, which could lead to significant new demand for compact premium cars.

The report also predicts that newer entrants to China's affluent segment of consumers will have a stronger focus on design than more experienced luxury buyers.

In order to meet the increasingly diversified demands of the Chinese market, Mercedes-Benz has been pushing full-speed ahead in the compact segment through the aggressive introduction of its New Generation Compact Car models.

The all-new B-Class introduced last year is already well-received in the China market appealing to consumers looking for a lifestyle-oriented vehicle with the functionality to accommodate their families.

Following the widely-acclaimed premiere of the all-new CLA-Class at the Geneva Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz will debut its newly-launched all-new A-Class at Auto Shanghai 2013.

The high-performance emotional compact model will come in three configurations for the China market: the A180 priced at 252,000 yuan ($40,645), the A200 at 278,000 yuan and the A260 sport at 358,000 yuan.

The automaker also world premiered its Concept GLA at the auto show. This forthcoming NGCC model hints at the future of the premium compact SUV, as well as showcases Mercedes-Benz' remarkable new design language as it breathes new life into a well-established segment.

The Mercedes-Benz' NGCC family will eventually include a total of five models covering a wide range of sectors. With this diverse compact car line-up, Mercedes-Benz is confident that its customer base will grow to include more of the "new generation" of young and trendy Chinese drivers.

A benchmark for the compact segment

Two years since the award-winning Mercedes-Benz Concept A-Class held its world premiere at Auto Shanghai 2011, the A-Class has come full circle.

At the upcoming Auto Shanghai 2013, the recently-launched all-new A-Class will make its highly anticipated China debut.

"As we roll out more models from our next generation compact car family, we'd like to see more and more Chinese customers come to recognize Mercedes-Benz as a cool brand," said Nicholas Speeks, president & CEO of Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales Co. "We believe that the all-new A-Class will appeal to the young and young at heart given its ultra-expressive character."

Radical look

As a change of pace, the all-new A-Class was not developed based its predecessor. Rather, Mercedes-Benz engineers and designers started with a clean slate, a revolutionary deviation from standard practice at Mercedes-Benz.

The A-Class' radical design has already earned it a number of awards since its world premiere at the 2012 Geneva Auto Show, including the title of "Most Beautiful Car of the Year 2012" via votes by more than 100,000 people in 52 countries.

The A-Class' modern look is a ground-breaking interpretation of Mercedes-Benz' style philosophy; the car represents a serious departure from Mercedes-Benz' existing product lines, but still maintains the high attention to detail and premium quality that is expected from the automaker.

The feature lines carving out the A-Class' side profile create a play of light through constant interaction between concave and convex surfaces. The dynamic "dropping line" in particular is a major design feature that contributes to the vehicle's sculptural, muscular look.

The exterior of the A-Class has also been designed with performance in mind, with this new Mercedes-Benz model series boasting a best-in-class drag coefficient of 0.27.

A number of details were taken directly from the Concept A-Class, including the dazzling diamond grille featured on the A 260 Sport.

Top-notch interior

Inside, the A-Class offers top-notch quality and appointments.

Only high-quality materials are used, including fine artico leather and carbon fibre look trim with an electroplated finish that gives the metal surfaces a "cool touch" effect.

At the same time, the A-Class' athletic character is reflected in the standard sport seats, three-spoke sport steering wheel, and new round X-shaped grills air vents that recreate the feeling of a fighter plane cockpit.

The A-Class also benefits from a transfer of technology from Mercedes-Benz' other larger models including a sliding panoramic sunroof and ambient lighting.

Exciting performance

The exceptional driving dynamics of the all-new A-Class reflects the car's sporty character and mirrors the fast-paced lifestyle of a new generation of consumers.

The turbocharged direct injection engine in the all-new A-Class gives customers three power choices ranging from 90 kW to 155 kW with an impressive maximum torque of 350 Nm.

The A 180 and A 200 models are equipped with 1.6-liter engines, while the A 260 Sport's powerful 2.0-litre engine propels the car from 0 to 100 km/h in just 6.6 seconds.

In addition to being tremendously powerful, the all-new A-Class also has extraordinary fuel economy. Thanks to an efficient engine with an ECO start/stop function, a newly-developed 7G-DCT dual-clutch transmission, and outstanding aerodynamics, the A-Class boasts an extremely low fuel consumption of 6.2 litres per 100 km.

At the same time, the all-new A-Class delivers impressive agility for a compact car. Its high-performance sports suspension integrating a four-link rear axle, electromechanical power steering, and Extended Traction Control delivers to drivers added control and a smoother, more pleasurable driving experience.

All in all, this sporty compact model from Mercedes-Benz does not disappoint. With its provocative design, premium interior and exceptional agility, the all-new A-Class is the new benchmark for the compact premium segment.

A-space: a refreshing new experience

Chinese media and a number of other lucky guests got a sneak peak of the all-new A-Class at "The A-Space: The Pulse of a New Generation", a week-long press launch event held at Shanghai's Sinan Mansions.

This event provided participants with a refreshing new experience presented in a pulsating, avant-garde environment that brought the car's personality to life. Flashing lights, thumping music, and enthusiastic energy, made the event feel more like a concept store than a press launch event, a far-cry from the usual one-dimensional speeches and PowerPoint presentations.

Upon entering, guests were set loose to discover different aspects of the A-Class through interactive activities that leveraged the latest new technologies, including a 3D printer and 180-degree animated photo shoot.

These activities helped guests connect with the cool character of the all-new A-Class and understand its highlights on a visceral level.

The Design Corner, told the story of how the all-new A-Class was designed and garnered a great deal of attention from guests. A series of sketches gave guests insight into how the A-Class was formed from a space on a blank canvas into the stunning car we see today.

"The A-Class is a totally unconventional Mercedes-Benz car. It is definitely for the movers and shakers who can appreciate style and quality, but aren't afraid to have some fun at the same time," Liang Zhaohui, publisher at Trends Group.

"The A-Class exudes sportiness from the inside out with agile driving dynamics that are reflected in the muscular exterior design," Xia Dong, chief editor of Auto Motor und Sport, also known as AMS.

Another major highlight was the A-Space bar, where Mercedes-Benz executives poured drinks and personally engaged with guests. This unconventional experience surprised guests who were unaccustomed to such intimate interactions with corporate executives.

"This is a side of Mercedes-Benz that I never knew existed. I can't wait to see what surprises Mercedes-Benz brings next," Xu Qun, publisher of Ramp magazine.

lifangfang@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 04/20/2013 page14)