The 2016 Mercedes A-Class facelift gets updates to the styling for a fresh look along with new equipment on board and is Mercedes’ final launch of the year in India.
Mercedes-Benz India’s 15th and final launch for the year, the 2016 Mercedes A-Class facelift is officially introduced in the country with prices starting at Rs. 24.95 lakhs (ex-showroom, Mumbai). Revealed globally earlier this year, the new A-Class facelift gets a host of subtle tweaks over the outgoing version that helps keep the model fresh and exciting amidst improved competition. While the European markets also get new engine options under the hood, Mercedes has skipped that part for now.
Talking about the aesthetic changes, the 2016 Mercedes A-Class facelift gets a slightly revised front fascia featuring a new arrow-shaped bumper, optional LED headlamps with DRL eyebrows, tweaked LED tail lights with new graphics and new integrated angular-tipped exhausts. The overall silhouette remains the same while the changes are far too subtle to be noticed at a first glance for the layman. Nevertheless, the lovable diamond grille now comes as standard while also new are the alloy wheels.
Stepping inside, the Mercedes A-Class facelift continues with the existing layout but gets new switches, upgraded infotainment system with an 8-inch touchscreen display that comes equipped with Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink system for smartphone integration and is the second vehicle in India to offer the same. Also revised are the seat upholstery, colour options and use of materials throughout the cabin.
Powertrain options are carried over from the outgoing Mercedes A-Class on the facelifted version and include a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine tuned to produce 120 HP and 200 Nm of torque, whereas diesel power comes from a 2.1-litre four-cylinder mill churning out 134 HP and 300 Nm of torque. Both mills come paired to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission as standard. In addition, the automaker has also tweaked the suspension for enhanced comfort on the baby Merc. Multiple driving modes are continued to be offered as standard on the hatchback.
The 2016 Mercedes A-Class brings an end to an illustrious list of launches to have come from the Stuttgart based carmaker this year. The luxury hatchback turned out to be a volume spinner for the company and has been a positive seller ever since its arrival in 2013. After two years, the updates keep the model fresh and exciting as it fends off competition from the BMW 1-Series facelift and Volvo V40 in the segment.
Mercedes also confirmed that the A-Class will continue to come as a CBU in the country, despite its siblings based on the MFA platform being assembled in the country. The company has started local assembly of 3 totally new cars this year with a total of 8 cars now coming via the CKD route. A total of 5 lakh units of the current generation A-Class have been sold globally since its launch in 2012.
2016 Mercedes A-Class Prices (ex-showroom, Mumbai) –
* A180 Sport (Petrol) – Rs. 24.95 lakhs
* A200 d Sport (Diesel) – Rs. 25.95 lakhs
