Mercedes-Benz India launches its 15th car of 2015: the face-lifted A-class

Mercedes-Benz India today launched its 15^th car of this year – the face-lifted A-class. Unveiling the car today in Mumbai, Roland Folger, managing director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, said: “We couldn’t have concluded the product offensive of 2015 with a better product. As the most progressive model in the compact luxury segment, the A-class has been instrumental in making the Mercedes-Benz brand more youthful. The A-class pioneered ‘compact luxury’ in India and with the new A-class we have just raised the benchmark even higher. We are confident that the new A-Class will continue to remain on top of customers’ preference as it offers an unmatched package comprising dynamic sporty design, high grade selections of equipment, class leading performance, world-class infotainment system and uncompromised safety features.”

He added, “The product offensive of Mercedes-Benz in 2015 with the ’15 in 15’ approach has been highly successful and is bearing fruit, as is visible with our sustained growth momentum. We are confident that the addition of the new A-Class will further strengthen our New Generation Cars portfolio and will continue our conquest of new customer base.”

While the A180 Sport petrol is priced at Rs 24.95 lakh, the A200 D Sport diesel costs Rs 25.95 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai). The updates on the facelifted model are purely cosmetic. On the exterior, the updated A-class gets a redesigned front bumper with new air intakes and the option of LED headlights. The rear gets a restyled bumper too, with a new, integrated dual-exhaust system and tweaked tail-lamps and LED lights.

The interior of the A-class is more in line with the new CLA, and features an all-new leather-wrapped three spoke steering wheel with 12 function buttons and a shift lever in leather. The infotainment system, available in optional 8.0-inch COMAND system, features Mercedes-Benz apps as standard with Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink software for smartphone integration. However, to secure a safer drive by avoiding driver distraction, certain app features are unavailable while the car is in motion. Other changes in the cabin include galvanised buttons and switches, a refreshed instrument cluster, and the use of new colours and materials on the dashboard.

The new car will get the same engine line-up as the previous model, that offers the choice of a petrol and a diesel engine. Power will be transferred via Merc's seven-speed dual clutch transmission. It will also be equipped with Mercedes' Dynamic Select system that features four driving modes – Comfort, Sport, Eco and Individual. The facelifted A-class will also have numerous safety features including six airbags, ESP, ASR, ABS, brake assist system, hill start assist and adaptive brake lights. The car will be available in a new ‘Elbaite Green’ colour in addition to four other colour options.

The facelifted A-class is the last launch for 2015, as per Mercedes-Benz's '15 in 15' strategy that was planned for the year. The car will rival the likes of the BMW 1-series and the Volvo V40.