We head to pune to see for ourselves what makes them
special
Clouds hung low on the distant hill as we stood atop the
Lavasa stretch, shooting the two brand new versions of the A and the Bclass
cars. While Pawan was busy making the shutter work I was sipping some extra
sweet tea, which remained as sweet despite munching on a particularly sweet
form of biscuit. Perhaps they make the tea extra sweet to justify the higher
than usual price of a cup of chai you would normally get. More is definitely
more. Maybe Mercedes has done the same thing with its new set of special
editions.
Mercedes B-Class -
The sports tourer from Mercedes gets suspension and features upgrade
The new A and B-class special editions have been dubbed the
Edition 1s. Both cars now come with Edition 1 badging on the side skirts and
the interiors. Since they are special editions, they are bound to have a few
features that the standard cars don’t. Though, both Edition 1 cars are
available in the diesel variant only, which is the 180 CDI. Both cars are also
powered by the same 2.2-litre fourcylinder turbocharged diesel engine with
identical power and torque figures.
The interior
layout of the B-class is identical to the standard car as well, the wood inlay
on the centre dash lends the interior an upmarket feel.
The most notable changes have been made to the interiors.
The A-class now gets electrically adjustable passenger seat with memory
function, which is absent on the standard diesel model. You also get a sunroof,
a rear armrest, Edition 1 badging on the roof and re-tweaked suspension. The
seats though are the same as on the standard car, and there is no climate
control either. The suspension has been slightly tweaked and given a slight
raise to cope better with our road conditions. The A-class certainly looks
sportier of the two with its low roofline, which slopes slightly at the rear.
But the same roofline eats into the headroom — both front and rear. On the
move, the car feels slightly stiffer than before and sticks to the road better
and has a slightly less body roll in the corners. The steering is well
weighted, though on the heavier side, but the steering response is still
lacking a bit, which does make you a bit cautious when negotiating fast
left-right corners. The B180, on the other hand, plays its game a bit
differently. Most of the changes in the Aclass are common to the two, like the
Edition 1 badging, electrically adjustable passenger seat and the rear arm
rest. Though, the B-class also doesn’t come equipped with climae control, it
differs in a few areas compared to the A.
Mercedes A-Class -
The smallest Mercedes gets more creature comforts and a new sunroof
The B-class now comes with a panoramic sunroof for you to
enjoy the good weather, and it also gets a rear entertainment screen behind
either seats. The interior on the B feels richer as well, thanks to the all
leather seats and the wood inlay on the centre console panel. In terms of
driving as well B seems better off than the A class. There is ample headroom
and knee room along with great visibility and despite being a more of a family
oriented car it has the sharper steering of the two which is a joy to use
especially in the flowing corners. Yes there is a bit of body roll due to its
taller stance but it isn’t prominent enough to upset the balance of the car.
You also sit considerably higher compared to the A class so you get great all
round visibility as well.
The interiors
sport the same layout as the standard diesel A180.
