Joining the Mercedes-Benz A-Class hatchback this month in Australia will be a new sedan variant – the first booted vehicle to wear the A-Class badge in the vehicle’s 22 year history.
The A-Class sedan is a separate vehicle to the CLA-Class, which essentially formed a four-door alternative to the previous generation A-Class hatch. The German marque will instead continue its expansion into niche segments, with a defined split between the more conventional, three box A-Class sedan, and the four-door coupe CLA, which will receive a significant generational update in the coming months.
The A-Class sedan sports a conventional three-box design.
Longer and a little higher than its hatchback counterpart, the new A-Class sedan will initially be offered in two specifications in Australia, with two higher-performance variants to follow before Christmas.
The launch range consists of the A180 and A200, which both make use of a 1.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine in differing states of tune. A seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox is the standard transmission.
Matters kick off with the $44,900 A180, which makes 100kW/200Nm and officially consumes 5.7L/100km of fuel. The A180 is fitted with a high standard of tech, including a full dual-screen MBUX infotainment suite with dual 10.25-inch screens. Satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay, android Auto and digital radio are all included.
For Australia, the A-Class carries this high-end infotainment as standard.
The entry-grade A-Class sedan also sports 17-inch wheels, a diamond-fleck grille, adjustable drive modes, paddle shifters, and a nine-speaker stereo. The seats are trimmed in Artico artificial leather.
Stepping up to the A200 costs $4,500 ($49,400 list) and sees the outputs of the 1.3T rise to 120kW/250Nm. The rated fuel consumption remains steady at 5.7L/100km.
The A200 upgrade also bundles larger 18-inch wheels, wireless smartphone charging, a rear armrest, adjustable lumbar for the driver’s seat, chrome exhaust tips, and adaptive high beam.
Sportier grades will follow later in 2019, including the AMG A35.
Both models are fitted with a generous safety suite that includes autonomous emergency braking, active lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, front and rear parking sensors, and traffic sign recognition.
Later in 2019, two performance grades will arrive in the form of the A250, which utilises a two-litre turbo four to produce 165kW/350Nm. An A35 AMG grade will also be offered, making 225kW/400Nm from its fettled two-litre turbo.
Mercedes-Benz A-Class sedan 2019 prices for Australia
Mercedes-Benz A180 sedan: $44,900
Mercedes-Benz A200 sedan: $49,400
Mercedes-Benz A250 sedan: TBA
Mercedes-AMG A35 sedan: TBA