Benz joy as A-Class slays moose test

By Neil McDonald

DAIMLER-BENZ has embarked on a huge television and newspaper advertising blitz in Europe to sell the revamped versions of its just-introduced A-Class.

It has also pulled out some big guns to drive the modified versions of its new mini.

The testimonies and ad push are the latest attempts by Mercedes to recapture public confidence in the car.

A former Formula One champion, Niki Lauda, and the Swedish journalist, Robert Collin, who first discovered safety problems with the A-Class, drove the revised car, concluding that the stability problems had been solved.

"There is a marked difference compared to the previous suspension tuning and I also found the ride comfort impressive," Collin said.

"I really like the car I drove."

Lauda was equally as impressed.

"With the new suspension tuning, the safety of the A-Class is absolutely foolproof," he said.

"The ESP also copes with driving problems before the driver has even become aware of them. The problem is resolved."

Drivers pushed the little Merc through a slalom test and the "moose test" -- a test in which the car, with a full load, does a double lane-change at 60 km/h to 65 km/h to avoid an obstacle.

Motoring journalists Jochen Albig, Auto Motor und Sport, Michael Specht, Auto Bild, Dirk Vincken, Auto Zeitung, and Marianne Sterner, Vi bil gare, put the revised car through its paces.

The A-Class, released in October, became a huge embarrassment for Daimler after one flipped over during tests in Sweden, raising questions about its stability during sharp, evasive turns.

Daimler subsequently halted production to give it time to make improvements, including a modified suspension to lower the center of gravity, new tires and the company's Electronic Stability Program (ESP).

As of early November, Daimler said it had received cancellations for about 2 percent of the 100,000 cars already ordered.

The modifications would cost it about US$118 million this year and more than $200 million next year.

The only question hanging over Daimler, maker of Mercedes-Benz cars, is whether the modifications will be enough to recapture confidence in the car in Europe.

Michael Specht, editor at Auto Bild magazine agreed that the car was more stable.

"At the moment, the A-Class is probably the only car that has come through (tests) so easily, even at high speeds," he said.

The German standards authority, TUV Automotive, has also given the A-Class the thumbs up.

Daimler-Benz is also changing the "moose test" parameters.

A company spokesman, Wolfgang Inhester, said the test was 20 years old and needed to be revised.

He said in an Automotive News Europe report that the test should be for what people do most naturally in an emergency -- apply their brakes, not steer harshly.

Daimler had videotaped a test of its cars and its competitors, many of which flipped over in the "moose test".

However, Inhester would not release the video.