Daimler-Benz Modifies A-Class In Fight Against Adverse Publicity

Daimler-Benz AG, chastened by bad publicity about the safety of its A-Class model, said yesterday it would upgrade the basic car to make it more stable.

Daimler said it would equip the new compact car with different tyres and a computer programme in a bid to address worries that it could flip on tight bends.

At a press conference called to discuss the A-Classs safety, Daimler-Benz car division chief Juergen Hubbert said the tyres fitted in the A-Class were too soft and could make the car unstable during quick evasive turns.

In numerous tests we have found that the type of tyre had a crucial impact on test results, Hubbert said.

The A-Class, which went on sale only earlier this month, became the object of intense questioning about its safety after Swedish motoring magazine, Teknikens Varld, flipped one of the cars during tests, injuring the driver.

Other car magazines have subsequently put the A-Class through the same moose-accident-test, where a quick evasive turn is conducted, and found it to be unstable. In addition to changing the tyres, Daimler said it would standardise a previously optional electronic safety programme (ESP) on all future A-Class models.

Daimler said that equipping the new A-class with the programme would cost it 100 million marks ($57.5 million) a year. Repairs to about 1,500 A-class vehicles already delivered to customers will cost about 50 million marks. The company said it would not raise the price of the car from the prevailing 30,000 marks.

Despite Daimlers efforts to convince the public that the A-Class was safe, there were signs that bad publicity may take a toll on sales.

Management board member Dieter Zetsche said after the press conference that the public had not been too worried about reports about the A-Classs safety until German television showed pictures of the car overturning on Tuesday night.

The vast majority of our customers had been satisfied with our explanations, Zetsche said.