Mercedes-Benz A200 2016 News

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

The A250's 155kW/350Nm petrol engine will headline the Mercedes-Benz A-Class range when it goes in sale in Australia in the first quarter of next year. Engine details have been released for the range and show the A250 Sport to be the luxury carmaker's take on hot hatches and with a 0-100km/h time of just 6.6 seconds, is a seriously quick car.But there's more on the way. Pressed about a rumoured all-wheel-drive AMG performance model, Stamoulis confirms "we should see another variant later in the life of the A-Class and it will be more powerful than an A250 Sport". Stamoulis says powertrains are still being assessed for Australia but adds improvements to efficiency and power with the petrol engines means the model range is likely to skew in that direction. "The diesel engines are a showcase of our technology and already meet Euro 6 emission levels," he says. "Just what engines and transmissions we take is still being decided." All engines use direct injection and turbocharging and the idle stop/start engine shut-off.  Mercedes-Benz Australia is expected to put its hand up for all three petrol engines, starting with the 1.6-litre turbo mills powering the 90kW/200Nm A180 and the 100kW/250Nm A200. Both will be sold in Europe with six-speed manual and seven-speed dual-clutch manual automated transmissions, while the A250 will be an auto-only offering.  There are four diesel engines though Mercedes-Benz Australia is only thought to be looking at the 100kW/300Nm A200 CDI and the top-spec A220 with 125kW/350Nm. The standard features run from a radar-based crash-avoidance system that should prevent nose-to-tail shunts at up to 30km/h to direct integration with Apple's Siri voice-control system to let drivers navigate the web or their iPhone while on the move. Its safety credentials are all but guaranteed — the B-Class is built on the same platform and has just been rated the safest car ANCAP has yet tested. Mercedes has yet to announce pricing for the A-Class but Carsguide expects it to start in the mid $30,000s and climb to around $50,000 for the A250. The A-Class is one of the models Mercedes sees taking it back to the top of the global prestige car heap and the five-door hatch will be priced and equipped to compete with the likes of BMW's 1 Series and the Audi A3.