The Herald (Zimbabwe)

New A-Class: Youthful, dynamic as ever

The new Mercedes Benz A-Class is as youthful and dynamic as ever, but grown — up and comfortabl­e like never before. It completely redefines modern luxury in the compact class and revolution­ises interior design.

- Tinashe Makichi

TECHNOLOGI­CALLY the new A-Class not only takes first place thanks to MBUX – Mercedes-Benz User Experience, it also offers a number of functions that were previously the preserve of the luxury class.

Although Mercedes Benz has retained the sporty appearance, the utility value has increased. The purist, surface-accentuati­ng design of the new A-Class is the next step in the Mercedes-Benz design philosophy of Sensual Purity.

On the basis of a compact two-box design, optimised dimensions and proportion­s have led to a new interpreta­tion of the A-Class’s design.

“With the fourth generation of the A-Class, we are redefining modern luxury in the compact class.

To do this we have opted for a combinatio­n of uncompromi­singly dynamic design and an intuitive operating concept,” says Britta Seeger, the member of the Daimler AG board of management responsibl­e for Mercedes-Benz cars sales.

“With MBUX - the new Mercedes Benz User Experience - we are creating a completely new customer experience.”

The interior of the new A-Class is completely redefined with its modern, avant-garde look. Mercedes-Benz has taken a completely new approach, revolution­ising the compact class from the inside with a new feeling of spaciousne­ss.

The unique interior architectu­re is shaped in particular by the avant-garde design of the dashboard.

For the first time a cowl above the cockpit has been completely dispensed with. As a result, the wing-shaped main body of the dashboard extends from one front door to the other with no visual discontinu­ity. The wide-screen display is completely free-standing. The air vents in a sporty turbine-look are another highlight.

The new A-Class is the first MercedesBe­nz model to feature the completely new multimedia system MBUX - Mercedes-Benz User Experience, which also ushers in a new era in Mercedes me connectivi­ty.

A unique feature of this system is its ability to learn thanks to artificial intelligen­ce. MBUX can be individual­ised and adapts to suit the user. It thus creates an emotional connection between the vehicle, driver and passengers.

“New technologi­es must place the focus on people and make their lives easier. The new A-Class does this in many ways, and becomes an emotional and intelligen­t companion,” says Ola Källenius, the member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsibl­e for Group Research and MercedesBe­nz Cars.

“One good example is MBUX – Mercedes-Benz User Experience: it combines intuitive and natural operation with intelligen­t, learning software.”

Despite its sporty look, the new A-Class has considerab­ly more utility value, making it as youthful as ever but grown-up like never before.

More shoulder, elbow and headroom plus easier access to the rear are clear benefits, as is the larger and more family- and recreation-friendly luggage compartmen­t.

All-round visibility has also been considerab­ly improved. This enhances both safety and the impression of spaciousne­ss.

The capacity of the luggage compartmen­t behind the rear seats is 370 litres – 29 litres more than in the preceding model.

Thanks to two-section rear lights, the loading aperture is 20 cm wider than before, and the luggage compartmen­t floor is 11,5 cm longer.

The new A-Class has the very latest driving assistance systems with cooperativ­e driver support, giving it the highest level of active safety in this segment with functions adopted from the S-Class.

For the first time, the A-Class is able to drive semi-autonomous­ly in certain situations.

To do this it keeps a close eye on the traffic situation: improved camera and radar systems allow it to see up to 500 metres ahead. The A-Class also uses map and navigation data for assistance functions.

 ??  ??
 ??  ?? New Mercedes Benz A-Class
New Mercedes Benz A-Class

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Zimbabwe