By: Stuart Johnston
Dresden, Germany - A quarter of a century after the re-unification of Germany, the roads in and around Dresden have been restored to pristine condition.
But on the way to the Czech border, you can still find the odd mid-corner ripple or ridge where a gnarled tree from centuries past has burrowed its way under the tarmac. And it’s these kind of irregularities, part and parcel of many of our roads in South Africa, that separate quality chassis and suspension systems from the compromised.
The iconic Mercedes-AMG A45 4Matic has, until now, been noted for its blistering performance but brick-hard suspension. The same has applied to certain other A-Class models. The good news is: no longer. After I geared the A45 back just before the corner to carry some extra speed that would have you bracing yourself in the pre-facelift model, well, the new car just attacked the ridge, went light as we crested it, settled and went on its merry, raucous way.
ADAPTIVE SUSPENSION
The secret to the new experience is the Dynamic Select suspension system fitted as standard to all models in the revised A-Class range, launched last week to the international media just prior to the Frankfurt International Motor Show. This system, which offers a range of settings ranging from eco-friendly to very sporty, is fitted as standard equipment on virtually all new A-Class models.
Mercedes-Benz states, as its headliner to the introduction of the new revised car, that the A-Class is now “as comfortable as never before, as dynamic as always.” The point is that the system has made a significant difference to cars across most of the the range, not just the top end sporty models.
This is the same system in principle that has been already enjoyed by (a handful of) South Africans on the C63 and AMG GT models, making them real dual-purpose performance cars.
En route to the Lausitszring race track near Dresden, where we wrung out the A45 in simulated race conditions behind racing legend Bernd Schneider who set the pace in an AMG GT, we sampled a large part of the revised A-Class range, including the 220d, and the new A 250, which incidentally comes in an extremely “out there” colour known as elbait green.
COMFORTING NEWS
In these cars more suited to Mr and Mrs Average Motorist, the switch from comfort to sport mode is also marked, and perhaps the new overall sense of ride savvy is not just due to the suspension. Apparently the seat cushions have also been softened in response to owner feedback, and I found these less overtly sporty models to be extremely comfortable.
To distinguish the new models, you need look no further than the front end, where there is a redesigned spoiler, new daytime running headlights, and the use of the diamond-mesh grille across the range. At the rear new LED tail lights give a really distinctive sickle-shaped look, and on the AMG there are details such as winglet changes as well as a new diffuser at the rear.
We mentioned the ride-handling aspect foremost in this report because we believe this was the A-Class’s biggest shortcoming. But the engines in the car are superb, particularly that two-litre turbocharged unit in the Mercedes-AMG A45 4Matic, to give it its full title with revised nomenclature.
MORE POTENT A45 AMG
Performance-wise, the engine has been upgraded from 265kW to 280kW, which should keep this award-winning Merc motor at the top of the two-litre tree for a while. Amazingly for a car that can carry five people, its acceleration time from 0-100km/h is a mere 4.2 seconds now, down 0.4 seconds from the previous A45. Top speed remains at an electronically-limited 250 km/h, but by ordering the AMG Drivers Pack, you can have this increased to 270km/h!
Gear ratios in the upper-four gears on the DCT gearbox have been shortened to provide snappier upper-speed overtaking acceleration. And shift times have been quickened due to new software (this applies to all models using the DCT or dual-clutch ‘box, not just the AMG A45).
Also available is a new mechanically-locking front differential to provide you with serious post-apex thrust out of corners, this being a key component of the optional (extra-cost) AMG Dynamic Plus package. This package also adds an extra “Race” option to the Dynamic Select system, which sharpens everything up to race-track-orientated handling, grip, steering reaction, and also allows a fair degree of oversteer before electronic nannies kick in.
The even-better news is that all these upgrades to the range-topping Mercedes-AMG A45 4Matic and the more passenger-orientated models are not too far away from being available in South Africa, in January 2016. Mercedes-Benz South Africa will announce the following line-up, given here with estimated prices:
A 200 - R389 200
A 200d - R419 200
A 220d - R460 100
A 250 Sport - R491 500
A45 AMG 4Matic - R683 600