Radar Collision Prevention Standard on Mercedes A-Class

Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz Cars next-generation A-Class minicar will come with radar-based collision warning and adaptive braking system as standard equipment. The little five-passenger sedan starts at $30,000 in Germany.

The highly sculpted A-Class is 14 feet long and 5.8 feet wide. At 4.7 feet tall, the car sits six inches lower than the previous A-Class. A roof-mounted spoiler hides the vehicle's antennae. Mercedes says the new model boasts a best-in-class drag coefficient of 0.27.

The little car features a four-link rear suspension and electromechanical power steering. Mercedes will offer the A-Class with three suspensions: comfort, sports and AMG-engineered extra-sporty. An "extended traction control" system generates a yaw moment during turns on the inboard wheels.

The A-Class also offers a long list of optional electronic assists adapted from larger Mercedes models: adaptive high beam assist, blind spot detection, speed limit warning, brake hold function, hill-start assist and reversing camera.

Mercedes notes that the three diesel and two gasoline four-cylinder engines available in the new A-Class are significantly more powerful and fuel efficient than the powerplants in the current A-Class.

The smallest of engine options, a 109-hp diesel that delivers 192 lb/ft of torque, is one-third more powerful and 22% more fuel efficient than the previous engine. With carbon dioxide emissions of only 98 g/km on the European test cycle, the engine also is the cleanest production engine Mercedes has ever made.

Similarly, the A-Class's smaller gasoline engine (156 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque) is 22% more fuel efficient than its predecessor. It emits 174 g/km of CO₂. The larger engine makes 211 hp and emits 143 g/km of CO₂.