The Mercedes-Benz A-Class Limousine is finally here in India, serving as the new entry point into the Mercedes-Benz family. It replaces the Mercedes-Benz CLA in the lineup, and while we were supposed to see it in 2020, its launch was delayed due to the pandemic. Now, another big news in 2020 was BMW jumping the gun to launch the 2 Series Gran Coupe — BMW’s answer to the A-Class Limousine. Before we get to drive the two cars back to back, here’s a comparison test to see how the both fare against each other on paper.
Dimensions
Based on the MFA2 Architecture and with the Limousine tag, it clearly indicates that the A-Class is built to offer comfort and space. The A-Class Limousine is 4549mm in length, and has a wheelbase of 2729mm, while the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe is 4526mm long with a wheelbase of 2670mm. The Mercedes is longer on both the counts, and this should mean more space on the inside of the Benz. But this is not all, in terms of width, the A-Class Limousine is 1796mm wide while the BMW is 1800mm in width, but this is just a 4mm difference and is unlikely to make too much of a difference when it comes to seating three abreast. When the height of both cars is considered, the A-Class Limousine is taller than the 2-Series, with A-Class having a total height of 1446mm and 2 Series having a height of 1420mm. The 2 Series is after all a ‘Gran Coupe’, and that implies a sloping roofline -- which could likely limit passenger headroom in the rear.
In terms of boot space the A-Class gets 405 litres in the A 200 and 395 litres in the A 200 d, while the 2 Series has a colossal 430 litres as standard, and both the Merc and Beemer get a space saver beneath the boot floor. Talking about tyres, both get 17-inch wheels as standard, while the 2 Series M Sport only the diesel variant gets 18-inch wheels. To sum it up, if you are looking for something that offers great comfort and spacious cabin, the A-Class Limousine on paper looks more spacious but can be decided only once you step inside the cabin of both the cars.
Powertrain
Under the hood, both the cars get two engine options, a diesel and a petrol. The A-Class Limousine, badged as A 200 for the petrol variant, gets a 1.3-litre turbo-petrol unit. It makes 161bhp and 250Nm of torque, while the 2 Series Gran Coupe gets a bigger 2.0-litre petrol engine that makes 187bhp and 280Nm. Here, the 2 Series has a larger displacement, makes 26bhp and 30Nm more than the Benz, and is also faster than the A-Class Limousine, which can be seen in the 0-100kmph times where the 2 Series takes 7.1 seconds, while the A-Class is a whole second slower.
Apart from these petrol engines, the cars get diesel engine options too, badged A 200 d for the A-class and 220i and 220d M Sport for the 2 Series. The 2-litre diesel engine in the A-Class makes 147.5bhp and 320Nm, while in the 2 Series, the 2.0-litre diesel unit produces 187bhp and 400Nm. Now we can see that both the cars get the same displacement but the 2 Series Gran Coupe is powerful and torquier than the A-Class Limousine, producing approximately 40bhp and 80Nm more. That’s not all, the 2 Series Gran Coupe is quicker too, hitting a ton in 7.5 seconds while the A-Class Limousine takes 0.7 seconds more for the same.
Clearly, on paper the 2 Series Gran Coupe is a winner with a powerful and torquier engine than the A-Class Limousine but there’s a lot more that goes into the car than just the engine!
Features
Needless to say both cars here are loaded with similar features. Both the cars get a full-digital instrument cluster, a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with integrated Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, parking assistant, panoramic sunroof and dual-zone automatic climate control feature. But there are things that set them apart as well, like the 2 Series Gran Coupe gets a smaller 7-inch instrument cluster while the A-Class Limousine has a 10.25-inch instrument cluster. The infotainment systems on both the cars are also unique, as the BMW gets a gesture control and handwriting recognition feature with BMW’s iDrive technology, while the A-Class on the other hand has a MBUX system with a touchpad that misses out the gesture control and handwriting recognition feature.
To sum it all, both the cars carry almost the same amount of goodies, but do get marginal differences in terms of advanced controls integrated in the infotainment system and fit-finish of the interiors.
Pricing
Mercedes-Benz will officially reveal the prices of the A-Class Limousine on March 25, and we expect it to launch around a price tag of Rs 40 lakh. Meanwhile, the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe is on offer at a starting price of Rs 40.4 lakh for the Sport Line variant and goes up to Rs 42.3 lakh for the M Sport variant. Since the prices of the A-Class Limousine have not been revealed yet it will be unfair to give a verdict in its favour. We’re going to have to wait and watch!