The Mercedes-Benz A-Class is sporting a little extra spice with the introduction of a new sports package.

The new A-Class sports package includes 17-inch light-alloy wheels, sports suspension, tyre pressure loss warning system, a perforated, matt silver radiator grille, sports pedals with rubber studs, a sports shift lever, a sports steering wheel covered with perforated leather and an instrument cluster on a silver background.

This costs only $1,550 for buyers of an A 170 Avantgarde, A 200 Elegance or A 200 Avantarge model. In conjunction with the A 170 Elegance the sports package costs $2,150. The A 170 Classic can also be equipped with the sports package at a cost of $3,150.

The arrival of the new sports package, as well as growing A-Class sales, were welcomed by Mercedes-Benz managing director, Mr Horst von Sanden.

“After successfully launching the all-new A-Class earlier in 2005, we are delighted to now offer customers the choice of further personalising their car with the new sports package."

“The new A-Class is proving popular with buyers of compact luxury cars with sales up 28 per cent year-to-date and an impressive jump of 124 per cent last month,” said von Sanden.

In addition to the new sports package, A-Class customers can now also order a fixed panoramic sunroof ($1,400) and sports seats ($1,000).

The new, more attractive and more innovative second-generation model A-Class went on sale in Australia earlier this year. The car replaced the successful first-generation A-Class which had been on sale in Australia for six and a half years and attracted over 6,900 new customers to the three-pointed star.

Mercedes-Benz kept a tight reign on prices for the second generation A-Class. For example, the A 170 Classic five-door starts with a recommended retail price of $36,900, whilst the new three-door range kicks of from $29,900 for the A 150 manual Classic.

The A-Class model range includes the choice of four petrol engines (A 150, A 170, A 200 and A 200 TURBO), two body styles (five-door and three-door) and three design and equipment lines (Classic, Elegance and Avantgarde).

The new flagship model, the A 200 TURBO boasting 142 kW of power, arrives in showrooms next month.

All A-Class models boast comprehensive, high-grade specifications. Even the entry-level Classic model comes standard with an array of key safety and comfort features which are by no means taken for granted in this vehicle segment: adaptive front airbags, side airbags, windowbags, adaptive belt force limiters, multifunction steering wheel, speed-sensitive power steering, selective damping system, air conditioning, Brake Assist, Electronic Stability Programme, power windows and remote-central locking, to name but a few items on the standard equipment list.

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