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The A-Class is the best-selling car in Great Britain for Mercedes-Benz, so this latest iteration drives a lot.
An updated chassis, a new and larger body and what is advertised as a class leading technology sounds appealing and fascinating. The German brand’s premium image cannot afford to be clouded …
What is that?
The new A-Class is a compact assembly line that resembles the Gulf of VW, and is the fourth generation of a Mercedes class that was first introduced in 1997 Generation, which was first seen in 2012, was a massive success.
The British public may have allied with an increased takeover of PCP deals and spent average money for this premium product, which was attracted by the thirty brand and its projected image.
In 2017, Great Britain was the largest market for the A-Class worldwide and Mercedes sold 43,717 here. The third generation buyers were also young people – the average age was 10 years lower than among the buyers of the two previous generations and 60% of buyers were new to the Mercedes brand.
The new car is much more than an update. There is a brand new and spacious body, albeit very similar to the old model, but the interior has been brought up to date. In fact, it is the new tech available and the driver’s access to the cockpit displays and controls that skip the new A-Class from most competitors.
The outstanding feature, which has developed for the larger and much more expensive S-Class models, is the individual single-glass panel in full length, on which two infotainment screens are generated next to each other and a broad-screen cockpit display. A few 7.0-inch screens are standard, but one or two impressive 10.25-inch screens are optional.
There are three engine options available at the start. The A 180D (from £ 25,800) uses a 1.5-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel with 116 hp and 260 Nm torque. It has a time of 0 to 62 miles per hour of 10.5 seconds and can deliver up to 68.9 MPG in the combined cycle.
The A 200 (from £ 27,500) uses a new 1.3-liter four-cylinder turbo petrol engine that generates a healthy 163 hp and 250 Nm. It can reach 62 miles per hour in 8 seconds and reach 51.4 MPG. The A 250 (from £ 30,240) is the sporty. Using a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo petrol producer of 224 hp and 350 Nm torque, it can sprint from 0-62 miles per hour in 6.2 seconds and deliver up to 45.6 mpg.
There are three equipment levels; Se, sport and AMG line. All models receive a multimedia system with voice activation, light metal wheels, DAB-Radio, Active Lane Heard Assist, Active Brems Assist, Start, air conditioning, air conditioning and Mercedes Sat-NAV. Sport Trim adds larger 17 -CCA alloys, LED headlights and climate control. Buyers from AMG-Line receive 18-inch alloys, AMG body styling, sports seats and a sports steering wheel.
The most important options include the £ 1395 Executive Equipment Line, which includes a 10.25-inch media display, active parking aid with parking tronic and heated front seats. The premium device line of £ 2,395 adds the second 10.25-inch cockpit display and a better sound system.
The all-Bells-and-Whistles £ 3,595 Premium Plus Line adds a panoramic sliding roof, a memory function for the front sears and the Multibeam LED headlights. In conjunction with these special equipment lines, an augmented reality navigation display of 495 GBP is also available. This overlaps a real -time cameras image of the street with navigation data and instructions that overlap more later.
First impressions
The new car looks sharper and more stylish. Slimmer light clusters at the front and back help the more modern look. The slightly larger dimensions enable greater leg and headroom for passengers. The back seat and the trunk is approximately golf size (370 liters) with a wider opening for access. The rear seats also fold very easily to offer 1,210 liters of space.
The interior is a revelation of the futuristic broad image fittings board looks good, works very intuitively and is controlled by a solid, high-quality steering wheel base touch control buttons and the Haptic feedback touchpad on the center console.
However, it loses part of the dramatic attraction if you stick to the standard 7.0-inch screens. You look lost in the long black glass with a wide screen. Go for the full 10.25-inch building of 10.25 inches and you have the feeling that you could indeed drive an S-Class. The voice-activated multimedia and the satellite nave work well and pretty much.
The only feature that I am not so convinced is is the Augmented Reality Navigation Display. The camera image automatically appears in front of intersections and circular sellers and reduces the usual image card. It actually distracts and in our view helps progress. I would personally let this option casture of 495 £.
Despite this restriction, the A-Class has now had the clearest and most demanding technology in its sector and has jumped in front of all premium competitors.
The fit and the finish and the quality of the materials seem to have improved from the last model, and you certainly have the feeling that it is driving an executive fluid tail that is worth wearing the three-point star of Mercedes.
How does it drive?
I drove two versions of the new car -an AA 200 with AMG line cladding and an A -180D with SE -Trim. The A 200 was a big surprise. Despite the small capacity engine, it felt really lively and sporty. Power never felt inadequate and never suffered from a lack of torque. As a petrol unit, it was also smooth and calm; Especially when driving on a highway. Allies with the AMG sports seats and larger alloy wheels that did not seem to affect the trip, it felt like a funny warm hatch that would entertain the interested driver.
The A180D was quite overwhelming in comparison. The originally loud diesel unit felt a bit sluggish, and although this was a base model, the car usually drove very well. Sure, if you regularly run large kilometers, you cannot ignore the fuel failures, but it loses an emerve on the way.
The handling is predictable with good traction and little body role. The steering of the AMG line car is sharper than the SE.
The general driving quality of both cars is firm, but smoothly and the suppression of wind and street entertainment is above average, if not exceptional. All Start-A-Class cars receive an automatic seven-speed gearbox as standard and work seamlessly with smooth shops. A six-speed manual will be available later in 2018.
Verdict
The latest version of the A-Class is a welcome improvement in many areas. The greatest progress and what it emphasizes among competitors is the innovative driver -friendly technology. If this is correctly specified, it can challenge Premium -Luxus saloons from the above classes.
The availability of a small peppy petrol engine is another bonus. There was a risk that the popularity of the previous model and honestly the ordinaryness watered down the attractiveness of the Mercedes-Benz brand. This new car captures such ideas and fully justifies the price increase.
For the pricing and a selection of great offers for Mercedes A-Class you will find your local Mercedes dealers like Sandown Mercedes.
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