Mercedes-Benz A-class Limousine review, road test

A posh new compact luxury sedan that promises to be more practical than the popular CLA sedan it replaces.

Published on Jun 02, 2021 08:00:00 AM

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Mercedes-Benz A-class Limousine review, road test

The A-Class sedan is sold alongside the all-new CLA sedan in some markets, and both are built on the same new-generation MFA2 (Modular Front Architecture) platform and share a lot of similarities. For India, however, Mercedes opted for this sedan to replace the outgoing CLA. This is due to the fact that, just like the outgoing version, the new-gen CLA also gets a swooping roofline, resulting in limited rear headroom. The A-Class sedan, on the other hand, has a more conventional roofline and better space management, making it more rear passenger-friendly in comparison (more on that later).

Curiously, despite being christened with the suffix ‘Limousine’ for India – a term commonly referred to a stretched luxurious car – only the Chinese market gets a long-wheelbase version of the A-Class sedan, which has a 60mm longer wheelbase than the one we get here.

The A-Class Limousine is dressed to impress, with its elegance and mature design language. Look at it head-on and it resembles a mini CLS, with its sharp, triangular LED headlamps and its bold grille flaunting the three-pointed star. Gone are the chic frameless windows of the CLA and the coupe-like sloping roofline. What it gets instead are stylish door-mounted mirrors, a confident waistline that runs the length of the dashboard and wraparound tail-lamps with unique Y-shaped LED elements. On closer inspection, the aerodynamically efficient alloys can easily pass muster in a modern EV, and the twin-exhaust housings at the rear are purely a design feature. Interestingly, carrying forward the CLA’s legacy in India, this one has achieved a coefficient of drag of 0.22, making it the most aerodynamic production vehicle, bettering the CLA’s 0.23.

Smart-looking alloys are aerodynamically efficient.

There is no mistaking the A 35 AMG for the standard version; with a more aggressive body kit bearing larger intakes, side skirts, a rear diffuser and twin exhausts, it certainly looks the part. Completing its sporty look are twin, five-spoke 18-inch wheels, as well as a lowered ride height.