Mercedes-Benz›A-Class›W168

A 140

W168 · 1997–2001FWDHatchback

The A 140 offers 82 hp via a 1.4L I4.

81 hpPower

12.9 s0-100 km/h

170 km/hTop Speed

1997-2001Year

Gallery

A 140, every angle

Exterior

No machine-readable source provided. Own work assumed (based on copyright claims). · Own work · https://www.flickr.com/photos/rutgervandermaar/47113144992/

Engineering passport

Specifications

Powertrain

Engineering details

Engine1.4L I4

Displacement1.4 L

Cylinders4

AspirationNaturally aspirated

FuelPetrol

TransmissionAutomatic

DrivetrainFWD

Performance

Numbers that matter

Power81 hp

Torque130 Nm

0-100 km/h12.9 s

Top speed170 km/h

Weight1135 kg

Fuel tank54 L

Dimensions & body

Height · 1590 mm

Length · 3575 mm

Wheelbase · 2423 mm

Width1719 mm

BodyHatchback

Doors5

Seats5

STORY

The A-Class opened Mercedes-Benz to a new kind of buyer. Launched in 1997, the original W168 was a radical little tall-hatchback with a "sandwich" floor that let the engine slide beneath the cabin in a crash, a clever safety idea for the smallest Mercedes ever made. Its start was rocky: the car famously tipped up in Sweden's "moose test", prompting a swift redesign and the standard fitment of ESP stability control.

Later generations abandoned the quirky tall shape for a conventional, sporty hatchback aimed squarely at premium rivals, and the A-Class became a genuine gateway to the brand for younger buyers. It also pioneered Mercedes' MBUX infotainment system with its "Hey Mercedes" voice assistant.

More than any other model, the A-Class is how a whole generation first came to own a car wearing the three-pointed star.

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