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With their utter dominance in Formula One over the last seven-years, Mercedes-Benz is on one heck of a ‘success wave.’ Even before now, Mercedes has been setting the standard for both luxury cars and supercars; contrasted only by the likes of affluent and prestigious manufacturers/competitors.
However, even with all of Mercedes’ victories (in motorsports and production cars, alike), the company is still comprised of many human-beings. And, as we know, humans are bound to make mistakes here and there. Mercedes, comparatively to lower-tier brands, isn’t one to produce constant failures. Though, when they do, it’s hard for the car community to scrub it from their memories.
So, as much as it pains us to harp on Mercedes (given their current F1 status), we can’t help but bring up their worst model ever: the original A-Class. A car that should be stricken from Mercedes’ records…
During the mid-to-late-1990’s, all sorts of new vehicle categories were beginning to sprout up. While cars like the McLaren F1 were setting the best examples, Mercedes wasn’t doing so well. At least, in one particular department: compact cars.
In 1997, Mercedes-Benz unveiled the first iteration of the A-Class – A smaller than average family car. The goal with the A-Class was too provide a European, luxurious aesthetic to the already existing compact cars; something that the Ford Fiesta or Volkswagen Golf couldn’t keep up with. Suffice it to say, what we got was less than extraordinary.
As you can see in the photo above, the 1997 to 2004 Mercedes A-Class (code ‘W168’) is a disaster of vehicle design. The best comparison we can give to it is an egg since there’s hardly any figure outside its roundness. Beyond just the shape, the W168 has all of the negatives of an early-2000’s Mercedes-Benz: Plastic-looking headlights, flat add-ons, etc.
We don’t mean to put designer Steve Mattin on blast here (as he’s made some awesome cars throughout his life), but what was he thinking when he approved a car as hideous as the O.G. A-Class?
RELATED: Posaidon’s All-New A45 RS 525 Is An A-Class Based Rocketship
Not only was the 1997 – 2004 Mercedes-Benz A-Class an ugly car, it was also a slow one, as well as dangerous to boot! To start, though, we need to discuss its power-output. Or, rather, the lack thereof, as the W168 is quite low on horsepower.
How low? The fastest version, the A210 Evolution, had around 138-hp, whilst the rest hovered near the 80-hp to 90-hp range. Although the A-Class was small, its lightweight body wasn’t nearly light enough to get it anywhere past 126 MPH
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By: James Jacobs
Title: This Mercedes Doesn’t Deserve The Badge | HotCars
Sourced From: www.hotcars.com/mercedes-doesnt-deserve-badge/
Published Date: Thu, 06 Aug 2020 15:45:25 GMT
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https://www.mansbrand.com/heres-why-dmc-should-make-a-comeback-with-electric-cars/
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