Mercedes-Benz A200 News

Mercedes-Benz Australia has announced pricing and spec for the A180 and A200 variants of the A-Class sedan range.

Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific will, for a limited time, offer a higher-spec version of its A-Class hatchback that adds more grunt and an all-paw driveline.

Mercedes-Benz has released images and high-level specification details of its new A-Class sedan ahead of the car's public debut.

Having been invited to the unveiling of the 2018 Mercedes-Benz A-Class, it only seems fair to give you an idea of what's good about it, and what mightn't be to everyone's tastes.

The all-new 2018 Mercedes-Benz A-Class compact luxury hatchback has been revealed, sporting a sharper look, more technology and more efficiency than ever before.

Mercedes-Benz's expanding Australian line-up is nearing 100 options, but each model, including niche and low volume vehicles has to pull its weight, according to the German car-maker.

Last year the vehicle market notched up a record with 1,136,227 sales, busting the previous zenith by about 24,000 and confirming that in Australia, one million-plus is the norm.Figures for November, released last week, show sales have already passed the million mark, and when the final tally emerges in early January the industry will congratulate itself on another bumper year.In reality, it has spent most of 2014 in reverse and it would take a freak December to even approach last year's total.If the trend holds, then the overall decline will be about 2 per cent - equivalent to 500 fewer buyers a week. But it's a mixed picture for the 50 or so brands, with the gap between winners and losers larger than ever.With one or two exceptions, the winners by a substantial margin are luxury brands. Their share of the market now approaches 9 per cent, up from 7.7 per cent last year, and it's reflected in some impressive numbers.The German luxury trio dominates but Australia bucks the trend by favouring Mercedes-Benz ahead of BMW and Audi.With its small car range - the A, B, CLA and GLA - flying out of showrooms, the three-pointed star is stretching its lead over BMW and rubs it in by selling more of its expensive performance variants as well.Its bestseller, the C-Class, has been available for only a few months but will finish the year as the third most popular mid-size car at any price - behind only the Toyota Camry and Mazda6.Audi's ambition is to overtake its German peers and become No 1 here, replicating its position in Europe and China. After slowing in 2012, its growth spurt has resumed and it's catching BMW on the strength of its award-winning A3 small car.Some of the second-tier luxury brands are powering ahead even faster. Thanks to its new-generation Range Rover and Range Rover Sport, demand for the British SUV specialist is up 22 per cent. It will finish as the fourth most popular luxury marque.Ironically, SUV demand is also powering Porsche. It cannot get enough of its second SUV, the Macan, and waiting times are stretching the patience of buyers. Without the Macan, Porsche was on track for a record. With it, sales are up almost 50 per cent. When Maserati adds an SUV, the Levante, in 2016 it can expect to get a comparable boost.Super-large, super-expensive SUVs are what the elite badges lack but they are all working on one. Even so, Maserati's push for volume is yielding results. The new-generation large sedans Ghibli and Quattroporte have almost tripled sales this year.Even among the luxury brands there are losers. Volvo lacks the deep pockets of the Germans and is struggling to keep its product pipeline full. Its dealers will doubtless breathe easier when the overdue replacement for its XC90 SUV arrives in the second quarter next year, with sales down 7 per cent in 2014.Lexus is another that has waited too long for fresh product and its NX mid-size SUV arrives too late to prevent it treading water.Among mainstream brands, losers are much easier to find than winners. Over-optimism and the pressure to grow meant many ended 2013 carrying too much stock, with Nissan the standout - but far from sole - example.The traditional solution to this problem, and one by no means limited to mainstream brands, is for the distributor and/or dealers to register cars themselves.It's a way of meeting sales targets but it simply saves up trouble, not the least of which is an excess of ageing 'demonstrator' models that sooner or later have to actually be sold. When they are, the sales have already been counted.Combine that with an assault on their traditional territory by the luxury brands and everyone from Toyota to Honda, Holden to Ford, has seen their numbers go south.But the biggest losers in 2014? Cheap Chinese brands, with Chery sales down 35 per cent and Great Wall almost 60 per cent.

After 17 straight years as a Carsguide Car of the Year judge, I was wondering what to expect as we assembled the 10 finalists for the 2013 awards.There are always a few surprises, things to learn and like and loathe, and the field is more varied and relevant this year than at any time in the past. We have baby cars, family cars, an old-school wagon, SUVs, even a new-age Benz, and the value is outstanding in every case.One of the early favourites is the last of the true Aussie cars, the VF Commodore. It looks a little out of place, so big and bland as a starting-price Evoque sedan, and is quickly put right into its place as we begin the 60-kilometre driving loops used to assess the various contenders. That place is the past.These days the Commodore is an all-rounder in a world of specialists, and that's why it - and the Ford Falcon - are heading into history. And why the Commodore cannot win a COTY crown in 2013.There was a time when big Fords and Holdens made all the sense in the world, as they could cover every base from commuter car and taxi work to a family fun runner, a working wagon, and even a hotrod sporty sedan. It was a one-size-fits-all solution, even if the tailoring was never an ideal fit.Now the world has arrived in Australia, with 60-plus brands all competing in the toughest new-car scene on the planet, and there are cars which do every job better than a Commodore or Falcon. It's bespoke tailoring at its best.We have the proof right in front of us as the COTY contenders run through the loops and hoops.If you want a classy new family car, the Mazda6 is better.If you want a roomy family wagon, the Kia Rondo is better.If you want a flexible runabout, the Subaru Forester is better.If you want maximum bang for your bucks, the Mercedes-Benz A200 is better.So the Commodore finishes in the middle of the pack and, despite our patriotism and support for carmaking in Australia, that's what it deserves. It's a good car, and easily the best car to wear a Holden or Commodore badge, but that's just not good enough in 2013.This reporter is on Twitter: @PaulWardGover 

The $74,900 A45 AMG may halve the price of entry and average cylinder count of Mercedes-Benz’s performance brand, but the hot hatch well and truly delivers on performance expectations.With claimed 0-100km/h acceleration of 4.6 seconds and a limited top speed of 270km/h, the A45’s hand-built 265kW/450Nm M133 2.0 litre turbocharged engine is touted as “the world's most powerful four-cylinder engine in series production.”Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesperson Jerry Stamoulis says the A45’s arrival “will not just revolutionise the hot hatch market, but the performance market as a whole.”Backing that up, the A45’s official 0-100km/h figure eclipses Audi’s $149,400 RS4 Avant by 0.1 seconds, and trails its $154,900 C63 AMG sedan sibling by just two-tenths.  The impressive outputs have been made possible through a combination of piezo direct-injection, twin-scroll turbocharging, water-to-air intercooling, and a forged crankshaft and pistons -- all permitting a stratospheric maximum boost pressure of 26.5psi.The A45’s grunt is channelled through a seven-speed dual-clutch auto with paddle shifters and multiple shift modes, before being sent to all four wheels via Haldex-type all-wheel drive system that splits drive up to 50 per cent when needed. Despite all this caged mechanical lunacy, the A45 uses standard start/stop to return an amazing 6.9l/100km official combined fuel figure – less than a base model Toyota Corolla.The little AMG is the first A-Class to feature all-wheel drive, and includes re-engineered front and rear suspensions and a 350mm/330mm (four piston front) brake package to contain its 1555kg kerb weight.  There’s far more to the A45 story than just performance, with the lengthy standard features list including a panoramic glass sunroof, seven inch multimedia screen, with satnav, 10GB hard-drive and internet capability, plus 12 speaker Harmon Kardon audio, dual-zone climate control and heated seats with memory adjustment. The only remaining options are ($490) blackened wheels, ($1990) 20% stiffer coil springs, a ($1990) aero package, and a spacesaver wheel to expand on the standard puncture kit. An active sports exhaust is also standard, which emits sinfully indulgent cracks and pops when Sport mode is activated, and is reminiscent of a WRC car anti-lag system when in launch-mode.The A45’s interior is unmistakably AMG, with red highlights against perforated leather and trim, flat top and bottomed leather an alcantara multifunction steering wheel, aluminium and carbon-look details, specific sports seats, and numerous AMG logos. The instrument cluster also includes a lap-timer, which is controlled by the steering wheel’s audio controls.  With standard 19 inch multispoke wheels and 235/35 tyres all round, the only remaining options for Australian A45s are ($490) blackened wheels, ($1990) 20% stiffer coil springs, a ($1990) aero package, and a spacesaver wheel to expand on the standard puncture kit.The A45’s safety gear builds on the lesser A-Class models’ five star safety rating, with three stage stability control offering three choices of safety net, plus Distronic Plus active cruise control, blind-spot and lane-keeping assist. Despite such performance potential and high state of tune, the A45 maintains Mercedes’ standard 12 month/20,000km service intervals.The first local deliveries will start on September 1, but Mercedes has already taken 1000 orders for the A45, and expects 300 of these to arrive before the years end. The current A45 waiting list stretches to March 2014, but additional volume will shorten this queue in the new year. Mr Stamoulis confirmed that Australia’s order bank for the A45 currently ranks third globally behind the UK and Japan, with 60 per cent of buyers new to the AMG brand. Those interested in A45 performance in sedan guise will be able to choose the mechanically identical CLA45 AMG from October, with a pricetag of $87,000.    This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn

A Mercedes-Benz that’s cheaper than a new Holden Commodore goes on sale in Australia today.Despite the $35,600 pricetag the Mercedes-Benz A-Class hatchback has more standard equipment than a $35,990 Holden Commodore SV6 sedan.The budget-priced baby Benz -- loaded with nine airbags, a rear view camera and a crash alert system, among other standard fare -- is the starkest example yet of the challenges facing local car makers.The prices of imported cars are at record lows thanks to the sustained strength of the dollar, and Australians are living it up.Imported cars now account for 90 per cent of new vehicles sold; a decade ago imports represented 75 per cent of the market. Half a century ago they represented less than half of new car sales.“Last week we had the highest order intake in our 50-plus year history in Australia,” said Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman David McCarthy. “Mercedes-Benz is no longer out of reach of the ordinary Australian.”As a further sign of our changing taste in cars, last year the Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan was the second-highest selling medium-size car behind the Toyota Camry and ahead of the Mazda6 and Subaru Liberty.Mercedes typically sells about 350 cars a week but dealer sources say this figure climbed to almost double that in the lead-up to the launch of the new model.“Half of the buyers of our new cars have never owned a Mercedes-Benz before,” McCarthy said. “That shows you they’re coming from all types of cars and all walks of life.”To ensure buyers aren’t scared off by high service costs, Mercedes has a fixed price servicing deal: $1400 covers all routine servicing for the first 50,000km. A Nissan Maxima V6 sedan costs almost $2000 to service over the same period.Tweets by @JoshuaDowling