A new sedan variant of the compact A-Class family made its debut at the Auto China 2018 in Beijing. Mercedes-Benz A-Class L Sedan model has been developed solely for the Chinese market.
The 2019 Mercedes-Benz A-Class L Sedan will be produced exclusively at Beijing Benz Automotive Co., Ltd (BBAC), a joint venture between Daimler and its Chinese partner BAIC Motor. A version of the sedan tailored to the needs of customers outside China will likewise launch in the second half of the year.
“With our Chinese customers’ wishes and needs in mind, we developed the A-Class L Sedan for the local market, which is the first and only long-wheelbase model in the premium compact car segment,” said Hubertus Troska, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, responsible for Greater China.
“This long wheelbase version offers added space, with a rear compartment dedicated to meeting local preferences. And given our customers in China are young and connected, our new, intuitive MBUX telematics system gives them a highly individualized digital experience. With these highlight features and more, the A-Class L Sedan is an excellent choice for our Chinese customers. We believe it will promote our further growth as our fifth model produced locally at BBAC, and we will build it in China, for China together with our partner BAIC,” further added Mr. Troska.
The Mercedes-Benz A-Class L Sedan follows the brand’s design philosophy of Sensual Purity. The compact saloon has very short overhangs at front and rear, which, in combination with the side feature line, reinforces the sporty image.
The sedan features low, drawn-out bonnet, flat headlamps with chrome elements, and torch-like daytime driving lights, diamond radiator grille with single louvre, chrome pins, and central star. This model will be offered in a choice of Sedan and Sport Sedan versions, with the latter featuring powerdomes on the bonnet.
The two-piece taillights emphasise the width of the car while the reflectors have been repositioned lower down in the bumper to allow the tail lights to benefit from a particularly flat design. The saloon also comes with a new Rose Gold paint finish which is exclusively for the Chinese market.
When developing the Chinese Mercedes-Benz A-Class L Sedan, the knee room for rear passengers was the focal point. As a result, at 2789 mm, the wheelbase is 60 mm longer than in the hatchback model (2729 mm). The sedan measures 4609 mm in length, 1796 mm in width and 1460 mm in height. It has a boot capacity of 420 litres.
The interior of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class L Sedan is similar to the hatchback. On board is the MBUX multimedia system – Mercedes-Benz User Experience – with unique learning abilities thanks to artificial intelligence. The popular WeChatMyCar app is also integrated. MBUX makes it possible for the first time for two or more users to connect simultaneously to the system.
The intelligent voice control with natural speech recognition is proficient in various Chinese dialects, including Sichuanese and Cantonese. Mercedes-Benz is the world’s first automotive manufacturer to provide navigation display featuring augmented reality technology on the Chinese market.
At the time of its launch, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class L Sedan will be available in China with the state-of-the-art all-aluminium four-cylinder engine with a displacement of 1.33 litres with power outputs of 100 and 120 kW (with cylinder shut-off).
Later there will be the 2-litre four-cylinder engine with CONICSHAPE trumpet honing and CAMTRONIC variable valve timing. In China, the latter engine has an output of 140 kW. The 7G-DCT dual clutch transmission comes as standard.
The new Mercedes-Benz A-Class L Sedan also boasts 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.
2019 Mercedes-Benz A-Class L Sedan:
