Review: Mercedes-Benz W169 A-Class (2005-10)

Review: Mercedes-Benz W169.I A-Class (2005-08)

Overview

Released in May 2005, the Mercedes-Benz W169 Series I (W169.I) A-Class was available as a three- or five-door hatchback. Manufactured in Rastatt, Germany, the front-wheel drive W169 A-Class range initially consisted of the A 150, A 170 and A 200 models, with the A 200 Turbo following in December 2005. The W169 A-Class was also available with continuously variable transmissions (CVT) rather than conventional automatic units.

In August 2007, the W169.I A-Class range underwent an update as the three-door A 150 was discontinued. The full range is given in the table below.

Dimensions and suspension

Compared to the W168 A-Class , the W169 A-Class was 263 mm longer (at 3838 mm), 45 mm wider (1764 mm), 18 mm taller (1593 mm) and had a 145 mm longer wheelbase (2568 mm).

The W169 A-Class had MacPherson strut front suspension and a torsion beam rear suspension. The W169 A-Class was also fitted with a selective damping system which adjusted the shock absorbers (i.e. reduced damping in normal conditions for greater ride comfort and full damping force when cornering at speed).

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the Mercedes-Benz W169 A-Class included dual front airbags (with two-stage deployment), front seat-mounted side airbags with head/thorax protection, full-length curtain airbags (i.e. for front and rear occupants), ABS, electronic brakeforce distribution, brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control, active front seat head restraints, front and outer rear seatbelts with pre-tensioners and adaptive load-limiting front seatbelts. From August 2007, rear side airbags were fitted as standard across the range.

Euro NCAP crash testing

In Euro NCAP crash testing , a five-door Mercedes-Benz W169 A 150 received a five star adult occupant protection rating with a score of 35.96 out of 37. In the frontal offset crash tet, the passenger compartment held its shape very well, though there was a slight risk of serious chest and lower leg injury for the driver.

Features: Mercedes-Benz W169 A 150, A 200 and A 200 Turbo

Standard features for the Mercedes-Benz W169 A 150 included a six speaker sound system with CD player, air conditioning, 1/3 to 2/3 split and folding rear seats, removable rear seats, a multi-function steering wheel, remote central locking, power windows and heated mirrors, a height adjustable steering wheel, height adjustable driver’s seat, trip computer and immobiliser. The A 170 was further equipped with 16-inch alloy wheels, front and rear fog lamps, automatic headlights and rain-sensing wipers.

Compared to the Classic variants, the Elegance and Avantgarde were further equipped with climate control air conditioning, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gearshift, courtesy lights, body-coloured door handles, mirrors and side rub strips. Whereas the Elegance could be identified by its chrome-grille, the Avantgarde had dark-tinted tail-lights, a body-coloured grille and a stainless steel exhaust.

Beyond this, the A 200 and A 200 Turbo added rear parking sensors (‘Parktronic’) and cruise control with speed limiter (‘Speedtronic)’ ; the A 200 Turbo Avantgarde was differentiated by its 17-inch alloy wheels.

August 2007: A-Class update

From August 2007, the A 170 was fitted 16-inch seven-spoke alloy wheels, an upgraded Audio 20 AM/FM/CD player with keypad and seat ‘comfort’ package. Inside, the Avantgarde variants had contoured sports seats, while the Elegance featured leather upholstery.

Related links

• Press Kit: Mercedes-Benz W169.I A-Class (June 2004)

Review: Mercedes-Benz W169.II A-Class (2008-10)

Overview

Released in October 2008, the Mercedes-Benz W169 Series II (W169.II) A-Class featured an expanded range, subtle facelift and additional features. The range was expanded with the introduction of the A 180 CDI, which was powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine; both it and the A 170 also featured ‘idle stop’ (engine shutdown when stationary) for improved fuel economy.

Visually, the Mercedes-Benz W169.II A-Class could be identified by its revised head- and tail-lights, redesigned front bumper and grille, larger air intake, larger door mirrors and alloy wheel designs; inside, there were new seat fabrics.

Safety equipment

Compared to its W169.I predecessor, standard safety equipment for the Mercedes-Benz W169.II A-Class was improved with the introduction of an upgraded electronic stability control system (with ‘hill hold’ function).

Features

Standard features for the Mercedes-Benz W169.II A-Class included an updated NTG 2.5 Telematics system with MP3/WMA/AAC-compatibility, UCI (Universal Communication Interface) with 3.5mm/USB/iPod inputs and Bluetooth connectivity, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gearshift; five-door models were also fitted with power rear windows.

The A200 and A200 Turbo were further also equipped with Mercedes-Benz’s ‘Active Parking Assist’ system which could identify possible parallel parking spaces – at speeds of up to 35 km/h – and automatically steer the vehicle into the space.

Related links

• Press Kit: Mercedes-Benz W169.II A-Class (October 2008)
• Specifications and Prices: Mercedes-Benz W169.II A-Class (August 2008)
• Wikipedia.org: Mercedes-Benz W169 A-Class