GENEVA MOTOR SHOW: A Mercedes for Golf money – new Benz hatched

Look out Golf, A3 and 1 Series. Mercedes-Benz is gunning for your customers and your volume. And the weapon it will be using, the all-new A-Class hatch, broke cover officially in Geneva on the eve of the Swiss city's annual motor show last night.

The all-new A-Class shares only a name with its predecessor. Styled and proportioned as a true hatchback rather than the first generation's Weird Harold MINI-MPV dimensions, it will arrive Down Under in early 2013 as a five-door hatch variant. With the platform set to also spawn an all-wheel drive mini-SUV and even a mini-CLS style four-door 'coupe', AMG performance variants are a given.

Leveraging the aggressive styling of the latest crop of big Benzs, the new A-Class shares its platform, at least in part, with the new B-Class and will be offered worldwide with at range of four-cylinder turbocharged petrol and diesel engines ranging from 80-155kW.

Featuring both six-speed manual and seven-speed twin-clutch transmission options, it will match Volvo's move (with new V40) to bring radar-based anti-collision systems to the premium hatchback class. A-Class seeks to set itself part, however, with a new generation of onboard connectivity that will allow users to fully integrate their iPhone to provide unprecedented access to online services – even social media sites and the like.

Eventually Android and other operating systems will be accommodated and, says Mercedes-Benz Australia, unlike some other car brands, the connectivity technology will be offered in all its glory (including Siri voice interaction) on local A-Class models.

Better looking inside and out, there's little doubt Mercedes is looking to steal customers from other marques with the new A-Class – indeed, it is intending not only to pull buyers sideways, but also up into the brand – as well as capturing downsizers. In the marque's pre-Geneva presentation it claimed over 50 per cent of A-Class buyers will be new to the Mercedes brand.

Though it's too early to talk about pricing, A-Class will start substantially under the B-Class's $38,950 pricetag when it arrives Down Under in the first quarter of 2013. Benz Australia sources point to a 'sweet spot' of around $35,000. They say their research indicates that the majority of Golf buyers spend close to this amount.

"A is for Attack: the A-Class is a clear statement of the new dynamism of the Mercedes-Benz brand," Mercedes boss, Dr Dieter Zetsche is quoted as saying in the A-Class PR bumph.

"It is completely new, down to the last detail. In automotive development, it's not often you get the chance to start with a clean sheet of paper. Our engineers and designers have made the very most of that opportunity," he stated.

The new A-Class is thus longer overall than the segment defining Volkswagen Golf (4292 v 4199mm) but is marginally narrower (5mm at 1780) and 46mm lower (1433 v 1479mm). The comparisons to the old-generation A-Class are less relevant but instructional, nonetheless. The new car is mm longer, 16mm wider and a whopping 162mm lower.

The new A-Class shares its 2700mm wheelbase with B-Class though the car's proportions are quite different with a significantly longer bonnet and reduce couple distance (the measurement between front and rear seat hip points).

Given its lower, wider stance it comes at little surprise that Mercedes-Benz is playing up the sporting credentials of the new hatch. It says performance arm AMG was involved in the A-Class development from "a very early stage". Though it's coy about a fully-fledged AMG version, it will offer "engineered by AMG" Sport variants of the A-Class from launch.

Indeed, the flagships of the new A-Class range will be the A 250 and A 220 CDI Sport models. Benz says the Sports are differentiated, among other factors, by a special AMG-developed version of the electrically assisted power steering and front axle and "a suspension that has been configured to match".

Benz says the A-Class powertrain offering will be broad. Petrol engines will be offered in both 1.6 and 2.0-litre displacements, both direct-injected and turbocharged, with the former debuting Mercedes' new Camtronic variable intake valve lift system to help reduce emissions during part load operation.

Petrol power outputs kick off at 90kW, with the most powerful A-Class engine the 155kW four in the A 250.

On the oiler side of the ledger, the 1.8 and 2.2-litre fours also feature sophisticated injection technology and turbocharging. The base diesel in the A 180 CDI is rated at 80kW/250Nm, with the top diesel, the A 220 CDI, boasting 125kW and 350Nm from its2.2 litres.

All engines in the new A-Class feature auto start/stop as standard.

Mercedes says the "radical new design idiom" introduced in Concept A-CLASS has been "rigorously applied for the series-production model".

"Applying the new dynamic style of Mercedes-Benz to the compact class was a challenge that we thoroughly enjoyed", explained Benz design boss, Gorden Wagener.

"The almost sculptural lines of the A-Class are very typical for Mercedes. The feature lines, particularly along the sides of the car, then give the A-Class structure and tautness."

Inside trim surfaces feature metalised finishes "underlining the exceptional quality of the interior", Mercedes claims. A wide range of optional equipment will be available as well as individualisation options. A choice of "Urban", "Style" and "AMG Sport" design and equipment lines have been conceived with the "requirements of customers in mind" the company says.

Mercedes says the A-Class brings a new level of safety to the C-segment (Golf-sized cars). In addition to the anti-collision system, A-Class also gets PRE-SAFE (which prepares the car and occupant restraint systems if conditions indicating a collision are sensed) and a host of other systems available either as standard equipment or options. These including an anti-fatigue sensor, hill and brake hold functions, blind spot and lane departure warnings, adaptive high beam, speed limit sensing, a reversing camera and auto parking.

Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site…