New engines for the Mercedes Class A: base version A 180, from €28,800

Mercedes adds new engines to the Class A, including an A 180 variant with a manual gearbox that allows the star brand to offer its compact from €28,800.

In our road test of the new Mercedes Class A we noted that, at launch, one of the compact premium’s problems compared with its rivals was the lack of base versions below €30,000. Until now, to get a Mercedes Class A you had to pay €32,700, which is the price of the A 180 d with the 7G-DCT dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

Things are changing with the arrival of new versions, in this case the A 180 and A 250 4MATIC with petrol engines.

Mercedes A 180 manual: new entry point to the range

The base version of the Class A range is now the petrol A 180 with a six-speed manual gearbox. The engine is a version of the M282 with 1.3 litres of displacement developed together with Renault which, in the A 200 with cylinder deactivation, delivers 163 CV.

In the new Mercedes Class A 180, this engine delivers 136 CV, an increase of 14 CV over the previous generation. Maximum torque is 200 Nm. Fuel consumption for this version starts from 5.6 l/100 km, with CO2 emissions of 129 g/km. Its price is €28,800, which is €2,600 less than the A 200. It can also be ordered with the 7G-DCT automatic gearbox, which reduces average consumption to 5.3 l/100 km.

The top speed of this version is 215 km/h, compared with 225 km/h for the A 200. And its 0 to 100 km/h acceleration in 9.2 seconds (8.2 for the A 200) is very good. The A 180 thus becomes a superb alternative not only to the A 200, but also to the 116 CV A 180 d, which for now is still offered only with an automatic gearbox.

A 250 4MATIC: the sportiest Class A… for now

At the other end of the range sits the second novelty, the A 250 4MATIC. With the 224 CV 2.0 petrol engine and 350 Nm of maximum torque, it is paired with the dual-clutch gearbox and 4MATIC all-wheel drive.

It becomes the most performance-oriented model in the range, until future sportier versions arrive. The A 250 4MATIC reaches a top speed of 250 km/h (electronically limited), with 0 to 100 km/h acceleration in just 6.2 seconds. Average consumption remains restrained, at 6.5 l/100 km. The price of this version starts at €48,550.

It is worth remembering the commitment of Mercedes with its new Class A to offer complete equipment from the base versions, with features that are not common among its closest rivals. Thus, every Class A comes as standard with a rear camera, MBUX multimedia system, voice control, alloy wheels of 17 inches, air conditioning and LED headlights.