First drive: Mercedes-Benz A180 CDI ECO SE | New Release - Car News Jan 2014

12:49 Thursday 09 Jan 2014

Mercedes has taken the old A180 CDI SE and, with a range of clever eco-tweaks, turned it into the A180 CDI ECO SE, the most economical and efficient A-Class you can buy.

To look at, the new car is virtually indistinguishable from the old one, with the cosmetic changes limited to a new aerodynamic grille; however, underneath, Mercedes has been hard at work ensuring that the A180 is as efficient as it can possibly be.

There's new underbody panelling designed to reduce drag, a small lightweight fuel tank to save on weight, an improved energy recuperation system and longer ratios in the higher gears.

Mercedes has also lowered the car by 10mm at the front and 15mm at the rear. The upshot of this is that the A180 CDI ECO SE boasts a class-leading drag coefficient of just 0.26, a combined economy figure of 78.5mpg and tax-busting CO2 emissions of just 92g/km.

Performance, however, remains unchanged. The A180's Renault-derived 1.5-litre diesel engine still develops 108bhp and 192lb-ft of torque and will still propel the car to 62mph in 9.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 118mph.

So, what's it like to drive? Well, pretty good actually. Like the rest of the A-Class range it's a sharp handler which is as comfortable weaving along B-roads as it is chugging along on the motorway. The steering feels positive and well-weighted and despite the higher gear ratios, you don't have to stir the six-speed manual gearbox too much to make the most of the car's performance.

Mercedes-Benz A180 CDI ECO SE

A common criticism of the A-Class range in general is the car's bumpy ride. Thankfully, with this being one of the lower-spec models in the range, the A180 sits on fairly small 16-inch wheels and while this may do nothing for the car's bling appeal, it works wonders for its ride comfort.

It's still not exactly what you'd call cosseting -- the suspension has clearly been set up in favour of handling rather than comfort -- but it's certainly vastly better than some of the bigger-wheeled AMG models in the range.

On the inside, the cabin oozes typical Mercedes-Benz quality and you sit low down in the driving seat, giving the car a focussed, sporty feel. There's a decent amount of boot space and although cars in this class do have more rear passenger room, it's hardly what you'd call cramped.

Although the car I drove was kitted out with a range of goodies including Park Assist, reversing camera and automatic climate control and was nudging £30k as a result, prices for the A180 CDI ECO SE start from £21,965, and even entry-level models come with a good range of standard kit.

This means it's about £1,000 dearer than a Golf BlueMotion and slightly pricier than the equivalent BMW 116d EfficientDynamics; however, it's worth noting that while the latter sneaks under the 99g/km of CO2 barrier, it's less efficient overall than the Merc.

Overall though, the A180 CDI ECO SE is an appealing package and on its eco-credentials alone it deserves serious consideration in this class.