Mercedes-Benz A Class: the evolution of the small compact

El Mercedes A-Class It has been and continues to be today one of the vehicles most appreciated by the public. That is why in this article we are going to reveal its entire history and how it went from being a simple utility vehicle to being the most powerful Hot Hatch in the world, with its AMG version.

 

Introduction

It's 1997 and Mercedes-Benz has just presented what it claims to be the brand's first utility vehicle, the Class A. It's the first time that Mercedes dares to mass-produce a vehicle with these characteristics. The first Class A It was manufactured with the engine in the front, in a transverse arrangement and offered traction instead of propulsion unlike the rest of the vehicles that made up the brand at that time.

The A-Class might not have been Mercedes-Benz's first compact

Seven years earlier, in 1990, the engineer Eberhard Schulz had tried to do something similar by designing the Schulz 190 E City or also known as E 190 Compakt, a vehicle that was built from the base of the legendary Mercedes 190 E, which had not had the wheelbase modified, but the rear part had been cut down to the C-pillar, reducing the capacity and dimensions of the trunk by joining the tailgate of the Mercedes E 190 family.

It seemed that everything was going smoothly with this vehicle, however, it was never mass produced which is a shame because, if so, it could have been the best “Hot Hatch” of the time since this small compact It had a 2,6 liter engine and delivered 160 hp to the rear wheels, much more power than the closest rivals of the time could offer.

The evolution of the Class A

This small compact already has more than 3 generations, and although many no longer remember, the first Class A was very far from what we know today as Mercedes-Benz A-Class.

Small, with a minivan appearance and 5 doors, this is how the first A Class was presented in 1997, the W168. As we have mentioned before, this vehicle entered the market as the first Mercedes utility vehicle and developing a new product line.

This first A-Class W168 It was marketed until 2001 and more than half a million units were sold, a figure that is still impressive today and is that, despite its appearance, which may be liked more or less, The truth is that Mercedes-Benz had managed to bring a perfect high-end utility vehicle to the market.

After what we know today as the brand's Facelift, in 2005 the Class A W169 appeared, a version that It improved its dynamic behavior by stiffening the suspensions, lowering the height and installing lower profile tires in addition to stability control.. This second version was marketed until 2011.

The 3rd generation: the revolution of the A-Class

That's right, surely the best known version to date, the A-Class W176 which was presented as a Concept Car in 2011 at the Shanghai Motor Show was the Mercedes that surprised everyone the most. Its design that had nothing to do with that of its predecessor and much more marked and sporty lines made the new A-Class the center of attention.

With a total length of 4,29m, a 4-cylinder engine in both its diesel and gasoline versions and a weight of around 1450 kg, this vehicle took the lead among the Premium compacts for being extremely versatile and agile to circulate in and out of the city.

Without a doubt, this revolutionary design from Mercedes-Benz stood up to its most direct competitors and laid the foundations for what we know today as a hatchback in the premium vehicle category.

The Mercedes-Benz A-Class W176 managed to lower the average age of Mercedes customers by even 15 years and, together with the GLA and CLA, it was one of the brand's best-selling cars.

Later, in 2015 we would see the brand's first facelift, both the rear and front bumpers, rear lights and some interior elements were changed. Changes were also made to some of its engines. The last year of marketing of the W176 was in 2018 and a year later in 2019 it was awarded as the best car of the year.

The fourth generation arrived on the occasion of the 20th anniversary

20 years later, Mercedes presented the new model with the occasion of the anniversary of the first Class A. The fourth version was presented, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class W177 of which stands out compared to the W176 a completely new interior accompanied by the best MB technology such as the MBUX.

With this model, a much more dynamic behavior has been achieved and an aesthetic much more in line with today's times. Additionally, the completely reimagined and redesigned interior makes this vehicle be at the forefront of the most intelligent and digitalized vehicles of the moment.

The close relationship of Mercedes-AMG with the Mercedes A Class

All Class A models have been able to go accompanied either by the AMG pack or by the development of Mercedes-AMG Even the first Class A of 1997 had its moment in AMG, and AMG got to work to convert the small minivan into a high-performance car for the most demanding and made the limited to 32K AMG. A single unit that had a 6-liter V3,2 engine supercharged by a compressor, from a C 32 AMG that delivered 354 HP of power.

It was a true work of engineering on the part of Mercedes-AMG since so that the A-Class could house the colossal V6 engine They had to move the dashboard back and mount the C 32 automatic transmission longitudinally.

In addition, to give a more sporty appearance, it mounted buckets, housed anti-roll bars inside (which favored the rigidity of the assembly) and was equipped with a self-locking differential.

It was the first and last Class A that was made with propulsion and with a longitudinal engine.

Mercedes AMG A 45 4MATIC

Several years passed until Mercedes-AMG gave free rein to its imagination with the A-Class and it was not until the W176 arrived that we saw one of its creations again. This time with the name of Mercedes AMG A 45 4MATIC or also known as the Mercedes A Class 45 AMG.

This vehicle, known for being one of the most radical in the range, provided authentic sensations and performance of a sports car and It showed that a compact car can also go extremely fast. With a weight of approximately 1500 Kg, oversized brakes, traction 4MATIC and a 2-liter engine that delivered 360CV took the title of the fastest compact car in the world.

It should be noted that the Mercedes-AMG A 45 4MATIC became one of the top 50 vehicles with the best braking thanks to the oversized brakes developed by Brembo, which They allowed it to decelerate from 100 to 0 km/h in just 32,6 meters.

One position ahead was the Mercedes SLS AMG Black Series with its carbon ceramic brakes.

Two variants were made of this vehicle, the normal one and the Edition One, which was a limited unit with some aesthetic changes.

In 2018 it was the turn of the W176 Facelift to which small changes were made to the interior, exterior, gearbox and The engine was boosted to 381 hp.

Mercedes AMG A 35 4MATIC

Years later, in 2019, it appeared the new Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC the entry model to the Mercedes-AMG range based on the W177. Although the engine had not been developed from its base by AMG, it had been enhanced in Affalterbach, which helped it produce a more than considerable 306 HP. This new vehicle It allowed Mercedes-AMG to enter a new segment of compact sports cars with a more contained price, meeting the demands of the market.

On an aesthetic level, the A 35 was a less strident model, with finer silhouettes than the A 45, although a more radical Edition One version was also made (a characteristic aspect of this type of version) that included the legendary performance pack, AMG stickers and two-color rims. A delight for those AMG lovers who could access the Mercedes Performance range for a modest price.

Mercedes-AMG A 45 S 4MATIC +

Finally, in 2021, the most radical version known to date of the A-Class was presented, the 45 S a compact with 421CV 4MATIC+ traction and 0 to 100 km/h in just 3,9 seconds. It is currently the second fastest Hot Hatch in the world.

Its engine has been redesigned by AMG and is now called M139 and The turbo has been relocated to the rear, leaving the intake in the front of the engine, unlike the M133 (A 45 W176 engine) in which the intake was in the rear.

With this new reorganization, it is possible to make the lower engine and reduce the length of the intake and exhaust ducts so the engine feels more twitchy. Furthermore, in the case of the turbo, its cooling is improved by receiving cold air through a specific inlet for this purpose (it is also cooled by water and oil circuits).

The new Mercedes-AMG A 45 S 4MATIC+ is a vehicle that stands up to the most demanding supercars on the market and demonstrates once again how far AMG's development in Affalterbach is capable of reaching.

Mercedes-Benz A-Class W177 facelift 2023

In 2023 we have just presented the new facelifted Class A which, as its name indicates, is an evolution of the one presented in 2018. What differentiates this model from the previous one? is what you must be wondering. The main difference is found in the design of the bumpers, both front and rear, as well as a new design of the lights and pilots. In addition, the new A-Class increases its electric range up to 80km in its 250 e PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid) version.

In terms of technology, it should be noted that the new Class A consists of latest infotainment system from Mercedes-Benz the MBUX.

What future awaits Class A?

As we have been seeing for a long time, the automotive path is changing towards an electric environment, so it is more than evident that the new A-Class will be accompanied by this type of technology either through hybridization or electrification by Mercedes-EQ.