Plan B for the A-class

As Mercedes moved down the market, its A-Class hit the elk obstacle. But now a new, improved version seems to have got it right. Michael McAleer reports.

They say wisdom only really shows when you prove you can learn from your mistakes. Mercedes, for all its woes of late, is starting to show that it shouldn't be taken for granted in the intelligence stakes. First it's reduced the number of high-tech components it uses, following repeated poor showings in reliability surveys - several of which were due to new technology. Now, it's redone the A-Class.

If nothing else, the original version launched in 1997 proved that car firms can find it as hard to move down the market as others seem to find it moving up. Here was a car set to bring the brand to a whole new range of customers, introduce them to the quality and reliability of the three-pointed star, then woo them into lifelong loyalty to the marque.

Alas, the plan fell foul of a pesky elk within months of the initial launch. Or rather the elk test to be precise, a wooden caricature of the large Scandinavian beast at which you drive at speed during road tests leaving it to the last minute to dodge, thereby testing the emergency handling characteristics of the car. The A-Class toppled over and flattened Mercedes' grand plan. It was the headline grabber at the time, but there was more to complain about than its ability to dodge stubborn mammals. The design left many confused as to whether it was an upmarket hatchback or a high-roofed mini-people carrier.

Inside the problem continued. The interior trim had more in common with a standard Peugeot or Renault than a premium German brand. The elliptical air vents, the plastic fascia and cloth covering were all rather nasty.

But enough of the old. All should be forgiven, well almost all. The new model shows up the old for what it is.

First the styling. The shorter wheelbase has been scrapped and the long version is now standard. More importantly, there's now a new three-door version, which goes some way to creat ing a more sporty image for the car.

The roofline has also been adjusted, the slant stretching further back and the roofline slightly lowered; at least in appearance, for the physical space inside is little changed and remains quite roomy. In fact the car is 232 mm longer and 45 mm wider.

Clearly the tall hatch look has been judged a mistake and attempts are being made to make the model more mainstream. With the three-door they've made massive inroads in this.

As for the trim and instruments, this really is Mercedes. The most striking feature is the near-vertical steering wheel, more Formula One than family hatch. Then there's the better quality plastics and now-traditional Mercedes instrument layout and centre console.

We couldn't really get comfortable in the front seats, but it does offer impressive load space in the five-seater version as you can flip and fold the seats in a number of combinations, even to the extent of removing all but the driver's seat.

In terms of powertrain, the entry level model - previously the 1.4-litre A140 - is now a 1.5-litre 95bhp unit, called the A150. Mercedes claims the power output across the range has increased by 38 per cent while fuel consumption has been cut by 10 per cent.

Unfortunately the A150 was not available for testing at the launch. However, we did try all the other versions, starting with the A170 116 bhp and A200 136 bhp petrol and moving on to the A180 and A200 diesel models. A future flagship A200 Turbo version will offer 193bhp, but is not due for release until mid-2005.

Of the petrols, we found them strong and relatively silent, but we must await the A150's arrival before we can judge just how well it does. Official figures show it manages 0-62mph in a relatively sedate 12.6 seconds.

The 1.7-litre version, when matched with the CVT automatic box, made its way up a sharp hill or two without much difficulty and there wasn't a noticeable difference between it and the 2-litre to warrant dipping into the pocket again. In performance terms the A170 manages 0-62 mph in 10.9 seconds as opposed to 9.8 seconds for its larger counterpart.

The four-cylinder 1991 diesel unit in its various guises offers between 82bhp and 140 bhp, and is not quite as refined as one would expect.

A new rear axle system allows better cornering and while we didn't get the chance to drive directly at another elk, it would seem the car's centre of gravity should keep all four wheels on terra firma.

The A-Class also features several strong safety features and is expected to secure five-stars at the Euro-NCAP. Mercedes has made dramatic improvements with the A-Class. The Stuttgart firm must rue the day it signed off on the previous A-Class, considering that with the right car it could have earned a good lead over the competition.

Now its arrival coincides with the latest Audi A3 variant and, more importantly, its arch-rival BMW's new 1-Series, both on sale here in September, before the A-Class.

It's due here in December, and prices have yet to be set. In Germany prices start at only €35 up from the previous model. Don't hold your breath for similar token differences here.