This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on March 4, 2016.

KUALA LUMPUR: Mercedes-Benz Malaysia Sdn Bhd has revealed its new generation of A-Class, which is set to redefine the premium compact car market and cement the marque’s pole position as the leading premium brand, according to Mercedes-Benz Malaysia vice-president of sales and marketing Mark Raine.

“Today, we’ve made a great car even better. The new A-Class was a radical departure from the preceding series, and [it was] a successful one. As the most progressive model in the compact class, the model series has done much to make the Mercedes-Benz brand more youthful, appealing to a wider audience.

“With newly introduced innovations and added features, the A-Class will now meet and exceed the wishes and expectations of our many loyal fans as well as our new customers,” Raine said during the launch of the new models yesterday.

The new A-Class is available in four petrol engine variants, namely the new entry-level model, A 180 at 90kW (122hp), A 200 at 115kW (156hp), A 250 Sport at 155 kW (211 hp) and the Mercedes-AMG A 45 4MATIC at 280kW (381hp).

The on-the-road retail prices for the models, without insurance, range from RM195,888 (for the A 180) to RM348,888 (for the A 45 4MATIC).

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia is a joint venture between Daimler AG and Cycle & Carriage Bintang Bhd.

Cycle & Carriage Bintang shares closed 10 sen or 3% higher at RM3.43 yesterday, giving the company a market capitalisation of RM345.55 million.