Mercedes-Benz A-Class Hatchback (W168) · A-Class
W168
The elk test — and the car that survived it.
- Production
- 1997–2004
- Built
- 295,598
- Body
- Hatchback
- Chassis
- W168
Six weeks after launch, a Swedish magazine rolled an A-Class during a lane-change test, and Mercedes-Benz halted production of the most important new car it had built in decades.
The W168 was a genuinely radical thing: a 3.6-meter front-wheel-drive hatchback with a sandwich floor designed to let the engine and transmission slide beneath the cabin in a frontal impact. Mercedes-Benz answered the elk test by fitting ESP as standard, widening the track and lowering the ride height at enormous cost — and the car then sold strongly for seven years.
Petrol engines ran from the 1.4-liter M166 to the 1.9, with 1.7-liter CDI diesels alongside; a long-wheelbase version on the V168 code followed in 2001.
Every model.
11 model designations across 1997–2004 — engines, transmissions and series codes for the W168.
| Model | Lata modelowe | Zbudowano | Podwozie | Silnik | Skrzynia biegów | Razem |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A 160 CDI | 1998–2001 | 10.1998–02.2001 | 168.007 | 668.941 | 716.504 | 14,508 |
| A 160 CDI | 2002–2004 | 02.2001–05.2004 | 168.006 | 668.940 | 716.500 | 14,900 |
| A 170 CDI | 1998–2001 | 07.1998–03.2001 | 168.008 | 668.940 | 716.500 | 145,165 |
| A 170 CDI | 2002–2004 | 02.2001–05.2004 | 168.009 | 668.942 | 716.500 | 118,396 |
| A 140 | 1997–2001 | 09.1997–03.2001 | 168.031 | 166.940 | uwzględnione powyżej | |
| A 140 | 2002–2004 | 03.2001–05.2004 | 168.031 | 166.940 | uwzględnione powyżej | |
| A 160 | 1997–2004 | 09.1997–03.2001 | 168.033 | 166.960 | uwzględnione powyżej | |
| A 160 | 2002–2004 | — | 168.033 | 166.960 | uwzględnione powyżej | |
| A 190 | 1999–2001 | 04.1999–03.2001 | 168.032 | 166.990 | uwzględnione powyżej | |
| A 190 | 2002–2004 | 03.2001–09.2005 | 168.032 | 166.990 | uwzględnione powyżej | |
| A 210 Evolution | 2002–2004 | 01.2002–05.2004 | 168.035 | 166.995 | 716.506 | 2,629 |
* Opublikowana liczba produkcji obejmuje każdą serię tego modelu; źródło nie rozbija jej dalej.
Year by year.
The stability recall, new engines and 980-component facelift — the changes that separate early and late W168 A-Classes.
- 1997
- The A 140 and A 160 launched with front-wheel drive and the sandwich-floor safety structure.
- After a Swedish evasive-manoeuvre test exposed rollover behaviour, deliveries paused while every car received revised suspension, lower-profile tyres and ESP with Brake Assist; existing cars were recalled for the same work.
- 1998
- A 160 CDI and A 170 CDI diesels joined with the OM668 common-rail engine.
- 1999
- The A 190 added the 1.9-litre M166 petrol engine and became the most powerful regular-wheelbase model.
- 2001
- A 980-component facelift brought a revised grille and bumpers, clear-lens headlamps, new tail lamps, body-colour mirror housings and higher-grade cabin materials.
- The diesel range moved to updated OM668 chassis and engine codes, while the long-wheelbase V168 joined with 170 mm added between the axles.
- 2002
- The A 210 Evolution became the range-topper with a 2.1-litre M166, AMG-influenced body trim, firmer suspension and 17-inch wheels.
- 2004
- Regular W168 production wound down in May as the W169 replacement arrived; the A 190 continued in limited production for some markets.
