Mercedes-Benz A-Class Sedan unveiled

Mercedes-Benz has taken the wraps off its V177 A-Class Sedan three months after unveiling the long-wheelbase Z177 for China.

Created mainly for the United States and other sedan-friendly markets, the A-Class Sedan boasts the lowest aerodynamic drag coefficient on a production vehicle at 0.22, thanks to drag reducing measures such as an almost flat underbody, an optional grille shutter and front and rear wheel spoilers that deflect air around the wheels. Even the wheels themselves have been aerodynamically optimised.

On the styling front, the A-Class sedan retains the hatch’s front fascia and shoulder line, while the shorter wheelbase actually gives the V177 better proportions compared to the awkward LWD version.

It measures 4,549mm long, 1,796mm wide and 1,446mm wide, making it 130mm longer and 6mm taller than the hatch, while sharing its 2,729mm wheelbase. Its 420 litre boot is 50 litre more than the A-Class hatch.

Mercedes also claims the sedan offers class-leading rear headroom and above-average shoulder and elbow room.

Inside, the cabin is identical to the A-Class hatch, with a wing-shaped dashboard dominated by a large freestanding display panel, turbine-style air vents and 64-colour ambient lighting system with 10 colour themes, or “worlds” as Mercedes calls it.

Also shared with the hatch is the new Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) interface with high-tech features such as augmented reality overlays for the navigation display and “Hey Mercedes” voice control.

The system also uses artificial intelligent to learn the driver’s preferences over time, while the navigation utilises vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication where available. Other MBUX features include parking and fuel price information and a vehicle tracking feature that can notify you if a parked car has been crashed into or towed away.

The A-Class Sedan will be offered in A200 petrol and A180d at launch, with the former powered by a 122kW/250Nm 1.33-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine developed with Renault, and the latter utilising Mercedes’ own 87kW/260Nm 1.5-litre turbodiesel. Both are paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission by Getrag.

Both models features torsion beam rear suspension, with more powerful or 4Matic all-wheel drive variants – which we expect to be announced later – will get a four-link rear axle. A MacPherson strut front setup is standard on all variants.

On the safety front, Active Brake Assist (autonomous emergency braking), Active Lane Keeping Assist which can be specced with Distronic adaptive cruise control, Active Emergency Stop Assist and Active Lane Change Assist are standard.