Mercedes A-Klasse Launches in China

A new model in the Mercedes-Benz lineup is getting ready to take hold of whatever market share on the Chinese market it can. The A-Klasse, one of the most important models for the German car maker in the years to come, will begin selling in China for prices starting at 238,000 yuan ($35,800) for the three-door A160 and at 278,000 yuan ($41,700) for the A180 five-door.

The German manufacturer experiences, as do pretty much all other producers conducting business in China, a great deal of success there. Daimler's passenger car division sold 101,300 cars in the three quarters of the year, already exceeding its sales target. Now, Mercedes-Benz's goal is to triple its sales in China by 2015.

As said, the A-Klasse will be of particular importance for Mercedes-Benz in the future, as it will become one of the models to receive an electric version. Production of the A-Klasse E-Cell began in September, with the model to be soon leased to selected customers in European countries, including Germany, France and the Netherlands.

The electric drive which powers the A-Klasse E-Cell is a permanent-field synchronous unit developing a peak output of 95 hp, a continuous power rating of 68 hp and a high maximum torque of 290 Nm. The model needs just 5.5 seconds to accelerate from zero to 60 km/h (40 mph), while the maximum speed is electronically set at 150 km/h (93 mph).

Power for the electric motor of the car comes from the two lithium-ion batteries with a total output of 36 kWh. When fully charged, the A-Klasse E-Cell has a range of over 200 km (124 miles).