It was the worst that Mercedes-Benz could have expected to happen. The most important model from Mercedes in decades started rolling not just off the assembly lines, but at test tracks in Europe. It made headlines simply because the legend of Mercedes-Benz is built around safety. No one could believe that the famed car builder from Stuttgart could have made such a major slip. The car in question? The all new A-class. It was supposed to mark the first ever attempt by Mercedes-Benz to reach out to the masses with a car priced squarely against the Ford Escorts and Volkswagen Golfs.
The Elk test and later
Even the most diehard Mercedes sceptic expected the A-class to out-perform the rest of the family hatchback brigade in motoring tests. But the problems started soon after the Frankfurt Motorshow where the car was launched, and the first alarming reports came in from Sweden. Teknikens Warld, a respected Swedish magazine, conducted what has now become notorious as the Elk Test and laid an A-class flat on its roof.
The Elk Test is something of a necessity in Sweden and certain parts of Europe, where stretches of motorways pass through dense jungle. Accidents involving elks crossing the road and automobiles are common, and a test simulating the reactions of a driver and the car in the event of a severe lane change is now commonplace.
The A-class handled smoothly until the Swede testers carried out the Elk Test. The car was revved up to 65 kph and was supposed to execute the lane change without the brakes being applied. The cars wheels lifted off the ground ever so gently as it avoided the orange nose cone placed in its path and as the car reached the apex of what can be termed an imaginary chicane, it rolled! Later reports suggested that even the driver did not expect that reaction from a modern car, let alone one wearing a three pointed star.
The magazine published the results, complete with photographs of the rolling car. Many, including Mercedes-Benz, considered it a one-off, but before they could dismiss it yet another damaging test result rolled in. This came from Auto-Motor Sport, the magazine that has become an institution in all of Europe for its impartial road and crash testing. AMS actually conducts crash tests involving brand new cars, even vehicle-to-vehicle tests on occasion, and no company is spared if their claims are proved wrong. The A-class rolled again in a similar test, injuring three test staff. The matter was swerving wildly out of control, and as 1,50,000 copies of AMS hit the stands with their damaging findings, Daimler-Benz was forced to meet the press.
Blame it on Goodyear
Their explanation was little short of astounding. Mercedes officials claimed that a particular rubber compound used in the Goodyear tyres sported by both the test cars involved were to blame for the car losing balance. They asserted in the same breath that the tyre manufacturer was not to blame. Mercedes-Benz also added that no new A-class cars will be fitted with tyres of similar specification. They also decided to fit a new traction control system that would reduce the tendency to roll, and have this retrofitted on the 3,000-odd cars that were running on German roads. But as tests continued, more A-class cars rolled and video images of the rolling class were being beamed all over the world.
Rocked and rolled
Mercedes-Benz has been forced to stop selling the cars till the problem is sorted out. It could cost them a fortune, and it will make drastic changes to the monetary and production schedule of the all-new automobile.
Daimler-Benz even cancelled the Innovation Symposium at Stuttgart in November where the A-class with its 20 new technical innovations was supposed to star. Since I had reached Stuttgart for the event I caught up with a senior Mercedes engineer and confronted him with queries on the A-class rolling syndrome. He paused, stared at me, and retorted: Do you know what the A-class means for Mercedes-Benz, or do you know how important the failure of A-class is for our competitors?
Still locking his eyes onto mine, he continued: If you really want, you can roll any car, and there is no dearth of stunt men who would do it for you. He disengaged his gaze, stared up at the still, blue autumn sky of Stuttgart and added confidently: We have a problem on our hands but we intend to solve it. We will solve it. Naturally he did not want me to quote him. But Jurgen Hubert, the Mercedes Passenger Car chief, was quoted by the European press as saying that the Electronic Stability and Traction Control (ESP) would take care of the tyre friction problems. The A- class reacts absolutely safely in a broad spectrum of critical situations. Only in the elk-accident test has it seemed to show a weakness, which we will address by fitting the appropriate tyres and ESP, he said. It would cost a fortune for Mercedes to incorporate this and retrofit the 3,000 odd cars already sold with ESP. But the latest is that Mercedes is going to increase the track and tyre sizes of the car and lower its height so as to counter the rolling issues. A re-launch somewhere in February 1998 is now predicted.
Before all this happened, and before the A-class became a terrible taunt to throw in the face of any Mercedes enthusiast, I had a chance to drive the car. This was just after the Frankfurt Motorshow where thousands gaped at the A-class. What follows is a brief driving impression and description of the rolling, er... A-class.
A true Mercedes
Saturated luxury car markets and the improving quality of family sedans that questioned premium price tags meant that Mercedes-Benz had to diversify into affordable automobiles that could guarantee volumes. If it was offering a Mercedes-Benz alternative to the Volkswagen Golf market, Mercedes could not lose the quality, safety and prestige cards they have played for long. Safety was one of the big issues that their engineers had to address as they penned the smallest Mercedes ever.
Just 3.57 metres long and 1,000 kg hefty, the A-class offers all that people have come to expect of a Mercedes. The interior room was to be as good as a C-class, but the ultra-compact exterior makes it an agile city runabout and four doors with seating for five means it can be the ideal family car. The monobox construction usually doesnt give much design flexibility but the A-class is a clear exception. The first impression is, simply put, I havent seen anything like this before!
Building a sandwich
The A-class also features a construction principle that is bound to be followed by auto makers from Europe and Japan, because it is one of the safest ways to engineer a small automobile. Its called the sandwich principle. The engine, transmission and axles are situated partially in front of and partially below the passenger compartment and can be shunted back underneath the body in a serious frontal crash. This way, occupants are optimally protected and despite a length of just 3.57 metres the new models achieve high safety standards.
Thats on paper. However, most detractors of the A-class are saying that its just this innovative way to make a small car safer that has sent the A-class rolling! The argument is that the sandwich construction meant a higher passenger compartment and hence a higher centre of gravity. But it does seem ridiculous that the engineers would overlook sixth grade physics before embarking on a revolutionary car mission.
And Mercedes argues that in the event of a side impact the sandwich concept also provides advantages with the occupant seated some 20 cm higher than in other cars and the car taking the hit below the occupant cell. Apart from safety, this mode of construction also makes the interior of the A-class roomy. All the room that is generated is used well too. With the innovative rear bench system and lift-out front passenger seat, the A-class can be rapidly transformed from a five seater to three, two or even a single seater if you intend carrying a lot of luggage.
The A-class cabin is an ergonomic delight with every control lever falling on to your fingertips. It is in this respect that Mercedes has outscored the opposition. Instrumentation is comprehensive and even the knobs exude quality. But as with other Mercedes automobiles, the handbrake (like in the SLK) is no longer leg-operated.
Driving the baby Merc
This is a test drive that was undertaken as part of a Mercedes Benz event at Heidelberg (BS Motoring readers will remember the SLK driving impression). To be honest, I was not impressed with the way the car looked but as the day progressed I started to appreciate the car even before I drove it. The reason was Adil Jal Darukhanawala, editor of Car and Bike International, who was driving the A-class when I was taking a spin in the sporty SLK. Since the settings werent very familiar, I was taking it easy, but driving as fast as I could in narrow lanes with the German countryside becoming a blur as the sports car responded.
And there he was, Adil, filling up the rear-view mirror of the SLK with his silver grey A 160! By the time I put some distance between the cars, the road would take some twists and Adil would be right up there again. He was revelling in the baby Merc (this C&BI editor is superb behind the wheel too) and it took me some time to shake him off and save the honour of a 190 bhp SLK Kompressor!
The A-class is now available with two four cylinder engine options with two direct injection turbo diesels to be added in 1998. The 1400CC 60 bhp motor is tractable and refined. Transmission is through a semi-automatic gear shifting mechanism that allows you to shift the five speed box manually without even thinking about the clutch pedal. This system marries the ease of the automatic to the advantages of a manual gear box. The high driving position gives excellent visibility you can even see over the traffic in front of you. The A 170, powered by a 1700CC four cylinder unit that I tried later, was in avant-garde trim with lower profile tyres and sportier trim. A favourable power to weight ratio makes the car agile and it can return an average fuel efficiency figure of 16 km for every litre. The common-rail CDI diesels are expected to be absolutely averse to gulping fuel.
To sum up
The A-class is a remarkable automobile. It is very much a Mercedes-Benz and deserves its three-pointed star. It is ironical that the first entry of Mercedes into anything smaller than a C-class has met with glitches. Mercedes fans, be happy, because those who know the company will tell you that this is a temporary hurdle before the A-class becomes the benchmark among small family cars. And no, dont even mention the Ford Edsel!
The car that was supposed to have Mercedes-Benz storming into the small car market is on a fast roll downwards.
