Mercedes-Benz Vision A 93 – Studie A Concepts 1993-94 leading to Production A Class 1997-2005

The desire for a car with very small external dimensions, and at the same time all of the values of the Mercedes-Benz brand, started to take shape at the start of the 1990s. Mercedes-Benz introduced the sandwich principle, in which the body is divided into two horizontal planes: the drive unit is located in front of and under the floor pan, so that in the event of a crash it is pushed down and out of the way and does not penetrate into the interior.
In September 1993, Mercedes-Benz gave the public a foretaste of the A-Class at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt/Main. Here the brand presented its Vision A 93, a front-wheel drive car featuring an innovative body design in which the engine, transmis­sion, tank and axles were located below the passenger compartment: the sandwich principle had become a reality, and the combination of small external dimensions (length of 3350 millimetres) with a large, variable interior, and a
Mercedes-Benz standard level of safety, proved impressive. The Vision A 93 incorporated elements of the F 100 research vehicle, for example. The body of the one-off vehicle was made completely of aluminium. The concept of intelligent light­weight construction was later developed for the A-Class. It combined different materials such as steel, plastic, aluminium and magnesium. As such, the vehicle design was optimised just as much in terms of weight and environmental compatibility as it was in terms of costs.

The Vision A 93 demonstrated the versatility of vehicle design with three different engine variants. In addition to an economical petrol engine producing 55 kW and a direct-injection diesel engine producing 44 kW, there was also a version featuring a 44 kW electric drive. The one-off vehicle also boasted variability in the interior: the car could be modified depending on the situation – from a comfortable four-seater through to a cargo maestro with a stowage compartment volume of 1000 litres. This revolutionary space concept was once again based on the innovative, high horizontal frame floor assembly, which helped to ensure a level of crash safety previously unavailable in this vehicle category.

In 1994, Mercedes-Benz displayed a version of the concept vehicle named ‘Studie A’, modified in a number of details, at the Geneva Motor Show. The American magazine ‘Motor Week’ awarded it the title of ‘Best Concept Car 1994’.
The positive response from the press and public lead to a quick decision being made by the Mercedes-Benz executive board. It was only in December 1993 that it had decided on series production of the A-Class. The project was assigned the model series number W 168, and the vehicle was to be produced at the Rastatt plant. At the International Motor Show in Frankfurt in September 1995, two years after the world premiere of the Vision A 93, the interior design of the A-Class was presented. Compared with the one-off vehicle, the overall length of the vehicle had in the meantime grown by 225 millimetres – and this was even before respectable space requirements increased further, particularly in terms of the luggage compartment.

The sandwich concept proved successful in 1996 in various crash tests at the development centre in Sindelfingen. The tests proved that even a vehicle with small crumple zones can still achieve the high safety standards of Mercedes-Benz. Furthermore, the A-Class not only fulfilled future EU guidelines for frontal impacts, but also complied with the strict safety specifications of the USA and the European Union for side collisions.

The A-Class finally made its official premiere in March 1997. Mercedes-Benz presented the five-door version at the Geneva Motor Show. The commercial release followed eight weeks later in May 1997, and the car was then available in dealerships by October. Despite the ‘elk tests’, the A-Class was extremely successful and was initially offered with three engines and four power output levels. These included the 1.4-litre petrol engine producing 60 kW (82 hp) in the A 140, the 1.6-litre petrol engine producing 75 kW (102 hp) in the A 160, and the 1.7-litre turbodiesel engine available in two power outputs of 44 kW (60 hp) in the A 160 turbodiesel, and 66 kW (90 hp) in the A 170 turbodiesel. As part of a facelift in 2001, a version with a longer wheelbase was also introduced.

Wallpapers : Mercedes-Benz Vision A 93 – Studie A Concepts 1993-94 leading to Production A Class 1997-2005