History and description of the Mercedes-Benz A-class car

Mercedes-Benz A-Class - this is a compact car (B-class, first two generations up to 2012) and a small executive car (C-Class, since 2012), produced by the German automaker Mercedes-Benz from 1977 to the present. The body was in the form of a 3- or 5-door hatchback, and from the fourth generation a 4-door hatchback was added. It has an unofficial name "Baby Benz" among fans.

The engine is located transversely at the front with front-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive available since 2012. This is the first Mercedes-Benz car with front-wheel drive. Before it, rear-wheel drive was predominantly used on all car models.

First generation (W168, 1997−2004)

Mercedes-Benz announced the A-Class back in 1994 as its first compact car, but with a spacious interior like a large family car. A prototype was shown at the end of 1996, and the car was officially presented at the Frankfurt International Motor Show in the fall of 1997. Production began in August 1997. The design was developed by British car designer Steve Mattin in 1994. Later, for this work, Autocar magazine awarded Mattin the title of "designer of the year". The cost of developing the A-Class cost the company 2.5 billion German marks and 300 million to correct defects. Assembly was carried out in Germany, Brazil and Thailand. In total, about 1.1 million first-generation cars were produced.

The body was only available as a 5-door hatchback with a length of 3606 mm (3780 mm LWB), 1719 mm wide and 1587 mm high. Everyone was surprised by the front-wheel drive and short body, which was not typical for Mercedes. Another innovation was the frontal impact absorption technology called "sandwich", which does not allow the engine to fly into the passenger compartment during a frontal collision, but directs it down under the floor. In 1997, the Swedish automobile magazine "Teknikens Värld" conducted the "moose test" (bypassing an unexpected obstacle) and the car flipped. Mercedes-Benz recalled all 2,600 cars sold at the time, halted sales for three months, and upgraded and fixed the problem by changing the suspension and adding electronic stability control.

The petrol engine range includes four models of the four-cylinder in-line "M166" with a capacity of 1.4 litres (1397 cm³, E14, A 140, 81 hp), 1.6 liters (1598 cm³, E16, A 140 and A 160, 81 and 101 hp), 1.9 liters (1898 cm³, E19, A 190, 123 hp) and 2.1 liters (2084 cm³, E21, A 210, 138 hp). The diesel engine is also a four-cylinder in-line "OM668" with a volume of 1.7 liters (1689 cm³, CDI, A 160 and A 170) with a capacity of 59, 74, 89 and 94 hp. Three types of transmission, all 5-speed manual, automatic and semi-automatic.

In 2001, the model was slightly updated, the bumpers and headlights were changed, and a modification with a 170 mm longer wheelbase (LWB) was released. The restyled version was shown at the Geneva Motor Show of the same year.

Second generation (W169, 2004−2012)

The second generation was introduced in 2004 with the factory code "W169". The body was made of high-strength steel alloys. The body shape was a 3- and 5-door hatchback with a length of 3838 mm, a width of 1764 mm and a height of 1593 mm. The cabin was equipped with many airbags, including side airbags for rear passengers. The front airbags are equipped with two-stage gas generators that operate depending on the force of the impact. The seat belts are also tensioned depending on the force of the collision. Active head restraints reduce the risk of neck injury in a rear collision. The car was assembled in Germany and Thailand. About 1 million units of the second generation A-Class were produced.

The engine was also installed transversely at the front with front-wheel drive. The basic configuration includes an anti-slip regulation (ASR), electronic stability control (ESC) and anti-lock braking system (ABS). The car's handling is improved by an anti-roll bar and a parabolic rear axle. The adaptive damping system in the shock absorbers works depending on driving conditions and increases comfort for passengers.

The petrol engine lineup includes four modifications of the four-cylinder in-line "M266" with a volume of 1.5 liters (1498 cm³, M266.920, A 150, 95 hp), 1.7 liters (1699 cm³, M266.940, A 180, 116 hp), 2.0 liters (2034 cm³, M266.960, A 200, 136 hp) and a 2.0 liter turbocharged engine (2034 cm³, M266.980, A 200 turbo, 193 hp). All 8-valve with SOHC gas distribution system, the body is made of aluminum alloy. There were three modifications of diesel engines with a volume of 2.0 liters (1991 cm³, A 160 CDI, A 180 CDI, A 200 CDI) 82, 109 and 140 hp, four-cylinder in-line turbocharged engines. All engines meet the strict emissions requirements of the Euro 4 standard. The gearbox is mechanical 5- and 6-speed, and a variator (CVT) was also installed.

In 2008, the model was restyled, as a result of which both bumpers, headlights and exterior mirrors were changed. The car also received the option "Active Park Assist", which helps the driver with parallel parking.

Third generation (W176, 2013−2018)

The third generation concept car was presented in 2011 at the New York Auto Show. The production model with the code "W176" was presented in March 2012 at the Geneva Motor Show. The design was completely redesigned, and the car became significantly longer and lower, and moved from the B-class to the C-class (according to European classification). The body was only a 5-door hatchback with a length of 4292 mm, a width of 1780 mm and a height of 1433 mm. This car became a direct competitor to the BMW 1-series, Audi A3, Infiniti Q30, Peugeot 308, Volvo V40 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. The engine is located transversely in the front, the drive is on the front wheels, and all-wheel drive models appeared for the first time. Assembly was carried out in Germany, Hungary, Mexico and Finland.

All cars include BlueEFFICIENCY technology. The range of petrol engines with the code "M270" includes three modifications with a volume of 1.6 liters (1595 cm³, A 160, A 180, A 200) with a capacity of 101, 120 and 154 hp, as well as one modification with a volume of 2.0 liters (1991 cm³, A 250) with a capacity of 208 hp. All engines are four-cylinder in-line turbocharged. Diesel engines had the following characteristics - two 1.5-liter "OM607" (1461 cm³, A 160 CDI and A 180 CDI, 89 and 108 hp); two 1.8 liter "OM651" (1796 cm³, A 180 CDI and A 200 CDI, 108 and 134 hp); two 2.2 liter "OM651" (2143 cm³, A 200 CDI and A 220 CDI, 134 and 168 hp). Transmissions were of the following modifications - 6-speed manual or 7-speed automatic (7G-DCT or AMG Speedshift DCT).

The car was updated in 2015. The bumpers were changed, LED lights became standard, it became possible to order LED adaptive headlights, and the interior received multiple improvements. The engines were also updated.

To promote the third generation of the A-Class, Mercedes-Benz held a series of concerts "A Rock" with the British alternative rock band "Placebo". The 5-concert tour took place in Paris, Rome, Zurich, Hamburg, Madrid from June to July 2012.

Fourth generation (W177, 2018−present)

In March 2018, the fourth generation A-Class was shown at the Geneva Motor Show, sales also began in March of the same year. The body was available as a 5-door hatchback (code "W177") and for the first time a 4-door sedan body was presented (code "V177"). The length was 4419 mm, the width was 1796 mm and the height was 1440 mm. The sedan concept was shown at the Shanghai Auto Show 2017. For China, a model with an extended wheelbase (code "Z177") was produced - 4610 mm long, 1796 mm wide and 1461 mm high. The engine is located transversely in the front, front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive (4MATIC). Assembly shops are located in Germany, China, Finland, Hungary and Mexico.

The car comes as standard with 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, remote ignition and LED daytime running lights. All models are equipped with a new infotainment system "Mercedes-Benz User Experience" (MBUX) with a new touch interface and an intelligent voice-controlled assistant that is activated by saying "Hey Mercedes" (Hey Mercedes).


The standard trim level comes with two 7-inch displays for the instrument cluster and MBUX screen, and can be upgraded to a 10.25-inch display with touch control, real-time traffic information and traffic sign recognition. Other available options include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, ambient lighting, a head-up display, and the ability to use a smartphone to lock or unlock the car via near-field communication (NFC).

Petrol engines are represented by the following models: 1.3 liters "M282 DE14 LA" (1332 cm³, A 160, A 180 and A 200) with a capacity of 101, 134 and 161 hp and 2.0 liters "M260 E20 DE LA" (1991 cm³, A 220 and A 250) with a capacity of 188 and 221 hp. The diesel engine is currently represented by one model with a volume of 1.5 liters "OM608 DE15" (1461 cm³, A 180 d) 114 hp. All engines are four-cylinder in-line turbocharged. Gearbox 6-speed manual or 7-speed automatic with dual clutch (DCT).

A-class W177, interior

A-class W177, trunk

A-class W177, rear seats