Mercedes-Benz outs base A-Class pricing

BY ROBBIE WALLIS | 21st Dec 2018

MERCEDES-BENZ Australia/Pacific has outed pricing for its entry-level A180 hatch, as well as two new A250 variants that are set to touch down in Australian showrooms early next year.

The A180 is now the most affordable model in the A-Class line-up at $42,300 plus on-road costs, but is still upstream of comparable rivals such as the Audi A3 1.0 TFSI ($36,200) and BMW 118i ($39,990). The new A180 is also $3600 dearer than the model it replaces.

Also joining the new-gen A-Class line-up are two variants with the 2.0-litre A250 engine, which will be offered in front- and all-wheel-drive layouts, costing $48,800 and $54,800 respectively.

The range now consists of five variants, including the A200 and A250 Limited Edition, the latter of which arrived in Australia earlier this month as a stopgap offering before the arrival of the regular A250.

Additionally, the range will be bolstered by the arrival of the A-Class sedan in the second quarter and performance-oriented A35 and A45 AMG versions later next year.

The A180 uses the same new 1.3-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine as the A200, but it has been detuned by 20kW/50Nm to produce 100kW/200Nm.

It drives the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, can complete the 0-100km/h sprint in 8.8 seconds and consumes 5.7 litres of fuel per 100km.

The new MBUX infotainment screen with the latest voice recognition technology is projected onto a 10.25-inch touchscreen that sits next to another 10.25-inch screen housing the digital instrument cluster.

Other standard specification for the A180 includes satellite navigation, DAB+ digital radio, keyless start, reversing camera, LED headlights, sports seats in Artico upholstery and a suite of active safety features including active lane keep assist, active parking assist, blind spot monitor with exit warning, autonomous emergency braking and traffic sign recognition.

The A180 comes standard with the Style equipment line that includes 17-inch, five-spoke alloy wheels and a diamond radiator grille.

For the A250 variants, the front-drive version mirrors the specification of the A200 and A250 Limited Edition, while the top-spec A250 4Matic with AMG Line adds extra specification over the rest of the range.

The A250 4Matic includes features such as 18-inch AMG two-tone alloy wheels, AMG Line body styling, Night Package with window tint, keyless go, panoramic sunroof, ambient lighting and Artico/Dinamica microfibre upholstery.

All A250s employ the same 2.0-litre turbo engine producing 165kW at 5500rpm and 350Nm at 1800rpm also teamed to a seven-speed dual-clutch auto, with the zero to 100km/h sprint time cut to 6.2s.

The A180 and A250 4Matic will arrive in local showrooms in February, while the front-drive A250 is expected to land a month later.

2018 Mercedes-Benz A-Class pricing*