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>>A 23 lakh rupee Mercedes Hatchback. That's right, this is one of Mercedes Benz's cheapest
cars in India, but true to form this baby Merc has enough to brag about. That three
pointer star on this fancy diamond-mesh grille is worth the price tag. And the bi-xenon headlamps
with built-in daytime running lamps signal your arrival in style.
The A180 is a fairly long and sleek car, with some design cues taken from its sportier siblings.
When you look at it from the rear, the sloping roofline and tiny rear window again give it
a hint of sportiness, although it could get mistaken easily for some other cheaper German
hatchbacks. The large 17-inch alloys look purposeful.
This car is powered by a 1.6 litre turbo-charged petrol engine that puts out a modest 122 bhp
of power and 200 Newton metres of torque, through a seven-speed automatic transmission
driving the front wheels and operated by a steering mounted stalk
and paddle shifters. Still don't expect sports car like performance
even in Sports mode. Shifting to manual mode and using the paddle shifters makes the fun
of driving slightly better, but the car is best left in Economy mode and allowed to do
its job the way it was meant to. The car's electronic power steering does allow for some
sporty driving too. The interiors are pretty dark, but the panoramic
sun-roof helps to add an airy feel. The front seats get fixed head restraints. In terms
of safety this car has Seven airbags, ABS and traction control. Convenience features
include a rear view parking camera, with front and rear sensors, GPS navigation, voice commands
for the Command infotainment system and Bluetooth telephony.
The boot is fairly large at 341 litres, which is more than most hatchbacks offer. But the
space saver spare wheel ironically hogs up a fair bit of space in the boot!
The Mercedes A180 is truly a driver's car. It will appeal to a buyer who wants a prestigious
badge on a convenient, luxurious hatchback. It's the car that will rope in a fair number
of self-driven young buyers who love the good things in life!