Whether as a notchback sedan (V177) or as a five-door compact sedan (W177), the current Mercedes-Benz A-Class has moved away from its old Biedermeier image and has become a sporty and attractive vehicle. For all models of the notchback sedan, from the Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC to the A 250 e plug-in hybrid and A180, the suspension manufacturer, KW automotive, has coilovers with stainless steel struts in its product range. It makes no difference whether it is a V177 sedan with front-wheel or four-wheel drive. While the KW Clubsport coilover is also available for the sporty Mercedes-AMG A35 4MATIC sedan in addition to the KW Variant 3 coilover, the KW Variant 1 coilover is offered for all other engine types as well. The suspension kits, which are available with a technical parts certificate, allow a maximum lowering of 10 to 30 millimeters for the AMG A35 4MATIC sedan or 45 to 75 millimeters for the A 250 e plug-in hybrid, and 30 to 50 millimeters for the A180.
KW coilovers are available for numerous vehicles and offer much more than maximum lowering within the scope of the technical parts certificate. All suspensions developed by the Swabian suspension manufacturer, KW automotive, improve the vehicle performance and ride comfort. Thus, the company produces height-adjustable sports suspensions for more and more accessory programs of various car manufacturers. Limited special models, sports cars and race cars such as Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series, Mercedes-AMG GT-R Pro or the Mercedes-AMG GT4 touring car are already equipped ex works with adjustable KW damper technology.
Since its market launch, the KW Variant 3 coilover, which is available for numerous vehicles, has become the best-selling coilover of the suspension manufacturer. The possibility to adjust the suspension damper characteristics to a sportier or more comfortable ride, and to freely choose astepless lowering makes it very popular. Another benefit is KW automotive’s tuning philosophy of always setting up a suspension for the road as tight as necessary and as comfortable as possible. If one drives a Mercedes-Benz A-Class (V177) lowered with a KW Variant 3 coilover on a road in poor condition, the KW coilover absorbs these shocks precisely and quickly.
“It is often surprising for many people that a coilover is able to increase the driving comfort in spite of the lowering” according to Brand Manager, Jonas Ehrmann. “Many people believe that an extremely solid suspension is sportier, however, this is not the case. Basically, the principal task of a suspension is to ensure that the tires are permanently in contact with the road. When a suspension is too tight, the tires lose their grip. No grip, no traction, no safety and no moving forward.” In the Variant 3, the rebound forces can be tuned with 16 precise clicks for more comfortable or, if desired, firmer handling.
The compression is also adjustable in the Variant 3. “The job of the compression is mainly to support the body structure, and to control how the spring and damper compress,” explains Jonas Ehrmann. Depending on the setting, the compression can be used to influence the steering behavior and the way that the car rolls. Whereas the low-speed compression (piston rod velocity) of the KW Variant 3 can be individually adjusted with clicks, the high-speed compression valves, which are jointly responsible for the ride comfort, are preconfigured and cannot be further adjusted. At high vertical accelerations, which occur when driving over bumps or transverse joints, the high-speed compression valves open and the tires thus compress. “Simply, the wheels do not bounce any longer on bumps, and the tires therefore maintain constant contact with the road. The use of progressive suspension springs supports the entire process. Everyone who opts for a KW coilover always receives a vehicle-specific complete solution which we have perfected in various road tests for everyday use.” In addition to the KW Variant 3, the KW Variant 1 and the KW Clubsport coilovers are also available, depending on the engine version of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class notchback sedan.
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