MONTVALE, N.J. – The latest generation of the compact Mercedes-Benz A-Class car is showing itself to be more youthful, attractive, and environmentally compatible than ever before, according to www.autospectator.com. This is ensured by a completely revised design, high-grade appointments, and new technical developments.

An ECO start-stop function that reduces urban petrol consumption of these BlueEFFICIENCY vehicles by up to nine percent is now available for the high-volume models A 150 and A 170, for example. For the three-door A 160 CDI, Mercedes-Benz has developed an additional BlueEFFICIENCY package that lowers the fuel consumption of the Coupé by more than eight percent to 4.5L per 100 kilometers.

In spring 2008 Mercedes-Benz is presenting the five-door Saloon and the three-door Coupé in completely upgraded versions. Viewed from the front, the sweeping lines of the newly designed headlamps combine the front end and flanks, which literally appear to be cast from a single mould. The redesigned front bumper reinforces this impression; its lower air intake is now much larger, emphasizing the width of the body. The radiator grille is also in a new design, which underlines the progressive aura of the A-Class.

Design features at the front-end provide more distinctions between the design and equipment lines of the A-Class. While the louvres in the radiator grille of the basic version are painted in dark-grey, they are respectively in metallic atlas grey and high-sheen iridium silver in the ELEGANCE and AVANTGARDE lines, and are also visually upgraded by additional chrome strips. Discreet chrome trim strips further reinforce this impression. In the AVANTGARDE line, the front bumper also has a distinctive design, which emphasizes the arrow-shape of the front end and suggests greater agility.

While the basic model is equipped with 15-inch wheels and seven-spoke wheel embellishers as standard, ELEGANCE and AVANTGARDE are fitted with individually designed 16-inch light-alloy wheels. The new, larger exterior mirror housings and door handles are now painted in the vehicle color for all model variants. The previous side rubbing strips have been replaced by discreet chrome trim strips, which provide additional visual highlights in the ELEGANCE and AVANTGARDE models.

The rear end of the A-Class is dominated by a modified bumper and newly designed rear light clusters, which extend well into the vehicle flanks. Both these features make the body appear wider and therefore more imposing. In the ELEGANCE and AVANTGARDE models, the rear bumper is embellished with additional, reflector-look trim strips and chrome inserts. The new, ergonomically improved tailgate handle is chrome-plated in both lines, as is the oval exhaust tailpipe.

With fuel consumption figures between 4.9 and 8.1 liters per 100 kilometers, the new-generation A-Class is a model of fuel economy. Thanks to detailed improvements, the fuel consumption of the state-of-the-art direct-injection diesel engines has been reduced by more than eight percent or 0.5 liters per 100 kilometers compared to the preceding series.

From autumn 2008 Mercedes-Benz will introduce a standard BlueEFFICIENCY package for the three-door A 160 CDI with a manual transmission, with further improvements in engine efficiency, aerodynamics, rolling resistance, energy management, and weight. The sum of these measures achieves a fuel saving of 0.4 liters, which means that the A 160 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY has an NEDC consumption of just 4.5 liters per 100 kilometers. As a result the CO2 emissions of the 60 kW/82 hp Coupé are 119 grams per kilometer.