Baby Benz marks a milestone with its new tiny A-Class

By Russell Williamson

MERCEDES-BENZ has not merely shifted the goalposts with the launch of its revolutionary A-Class, but removed them altogether.

As a new entrant in the compact class, the car defies its size in all areas of safety, drivability, comfort, convenience and price.

At just 3.57 metres long, the A-Class is shorter than a Toyota Starlet, has more possible luggage space than the Mitsubishi Lancer wagon, the interior space of a BMW 3-Series, safety levels of the E-Class but at a price that puts it firmly into luxury car territory.

The new baby Benz was launched in Brussels last week and is priced from about US$25,000 in Europe.

In Europe, the five-door car is offered with a choice of four engines -- two gasoline and two diesel -- which, for the first time in Mercedes' 100-year history, drives the front wheels.

The gasoline engines have 1.4-liter and 1.6-liter capacities and produce 60kW of power and 130Nm of torque and 75kW and 150Nm respectively.

The turbocharged diesel engines both displace 1.7-liters but are tuned differently, with one producing 44kW and 160Nm and the other 66kW and 180Nm.

This four-cylinder engine generates 75kW of power at 5250rpm and 150Nm of torque at 4000rpm.

A fifth engine will be added to the range -- a 1.9-liter 90kW unit -- about the end of next year.

Two transmission options will be available from launch, a five-speed manual and five-speed clutchless manual, with a five- speed fully automatic transmission expected to be available by about June.

Front suspension is a modified MacPherson strut setup while the rear uses a trailing arm suspension with coil springs all round.

Brakes are front disc and rear drum, with an antilock system as standard and power-assisted rack and pinion steering completes the mechanical picture.

The A-Class sits on a ladder-frame chassis, which gives it its extremely strong structure, while the high floor of the car is a double layer "sandwich" construction.

This, together with the inclined engined, improves the safety performance of the car by enabling the engine and transmission to slide rearward under the floor in a frontal impact.

It also improves side impact protection as the passengers sit above the impact zone from a normal car.

Inside, the A-Class demonstrates as much innovation as in its construction and mechanical systems, with a seating arrangement that offers 72 different variations.

The rear seat is 60/40 split and together with the front passenger seat, can be removed with ease.

Three trim levels -- Classic, Elegance and Avantgarde -- will be available, with all getting dual and front side air bags, central locking and electric front windows and mirrors.

The top-of-the-range Avantgarde gets larger 16-inch alloy wheels and 10mm lowered suspension.

With the new A-Class, Mercedes has managed to make the driving experience of a compact feel more like that of a medium-sized sedan.

On a route that took in the high-speed motorway out of Brussels, and winding country roads along the Meuse River to the 14th century Chateau Freyr in southern Belgium, the car was very solid on the road, taking all surface conditions in its stride.

Although being relatively high, there was little in the way of body roll through tight corners as the well-damped suspension kept the car stable at all speeds.

On the long highway sections, straight-line stability, even at speeds up to 140kmh, was exceptional, although the high roof meant the car copped a bit of a buffeting as trucks passed by.

With a curb weight of just over 1,000kg, performance from the 1.6-liter engine was good, while the manual gear shift was smooth and well-defined.

Unlike the power steering in many cars of this size, the A- Class was well-weighted and provided a good feel back through the thick rim.

Sitting behind the steering wheel, the feeling you get once again belies the cars dimensions, with the high seating position and large glass areas providing good visibility.

Despite the radical body design with the long, sharply raked A-pillar and reverse angled C-pillar, the clever use of small glass areas improve sight lines in all directions.

Passenger space in the front is good, although rear headroom is a bit tight and long periods sitting with your knees up under your chin could be uncomfortable.

In true Mercedes tradition, noise vibration harshness levels are very low -- even at high speeds -- with the build quality proving up to standard with not a squeak or rattle to be heard.

Although the dashboard is a departure from Mercedes traditional layout, the feel of the controls both on the dashboard and stalk remind you this is a Mercedes.