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Mercedes A-class: Test Drive
Date: 10 June 2008 | Author: Guy Bird
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Mid-life car facelifts can be so humdrum you sometimes wonder why the carmaker bothered. But that's not the case with the refreshed A-class, which comes with features that represent the start of Mercedes' eco production car onslaught in the UK.
The visible exterior and interior tweaks are minor. However, launching from October on the A-class (and sister B-class) will be Mercedes' first stop/start technology.
Available on the petrol A150 and A170 models, stop/start benefits fuel consumption by at least 3mpg and lowers CO2 by up to 11g/km depending on the model.
Unlike BMW's system, which cuts out when neutral is selected at standstill, Merc's version requires the driver to leave a foot on the brake. As soon as you take your foot off, or press the clutch, the engine fires up again (with the BMW and Mini version the engine only fires up when you press the clutch). However, keeping a foot on the brake when stuck in traffic for a minute or more feels weird and a little uncomfortable, especially for a manual gearbox car.
Merc's boffins are looking into stop/start tech for diesels (as well as a stop/start automatic), but for now...
