Mercedes-Benz A-Class LWB (V168) · A-Class LWB
V168
Long-wheelbase A-Class — roomier without losing agility.
- Production
- 2001–2004
- Built
- 204,207
- Body
- Hatchback
- Chassis
- V168
A tall hatchback with a hidden secret — the V168 A-Class packed its engine and transmission into a sandwich floor that could slide beneath the occupants in a frontal impact, and then proved its stability the hard way in an infamous Swedish moose test that nearly ended the program.
Mercedes-Benz launched the first-generation A-Class in 1997 on the V168 chassis, creating an entirely new entry point for the brand with a front-wheel-drive platform, tall greenhouse, and flat-floor packaging that delivered surprising interior space from a sub-four-meter length. The elk-test incident of 1997 forced a rapid chassis redesign with wider track and lower center of gravity; the revised A-Class survived and thrived, offering four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines and, in A 160 and A 190 form, genuinely accessible Mercedes-Benz ownership.
Produced from 1997 to 2004, the V168 A-Class was the car that brought front-wheel drive and compact dimensions to the Mercedes-Benz mainstream — a controversial beginning that established a nameplate now central to the brand's volume strategy.
Every model.
5 model designations across 2001–2004 — engines, chassis codes and production figures for the V168.
| Modell | Modelljahre | Baumuster | Motor | Getriebe | Gesamt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A 170 CDI L | 2001–2004 | 168.109 | 668.942 | 716.500 | 95,820 |
| A 140 L | 2001–2004 | 168.131 | 166.940 | 716.501 | 38,113 |
| A 160 L | 2001–2004 | 168.133 | 166.960 | 716.501 | 52,979 |
| A 190 L | 2001–2004 | 168.132 | 166.990 | 716.506 | 14,239 |
| A 210 Evolution L | 2002–2004 | 168.135 | 166.995 | 716.506 | 3,056 |
* Die veröffentlichte Produktionszahl umfasst alle Serien dieses Modells; die Quelle schlüsselt sie nicht weiter auf.
