Car: Mercedes A-Class range
Prices: £14,290-£18,645 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 5E-9E
Emissions: 116-169g/km
Performance: [A180] Max Speed 117mph / 0-62mph 10.9s
Fuel Consumption: [A160 CDI] (combined) 64.2mpg
Safety: Twin front & side airbags / ABS / ESP
Dimensions: Length/Width/Height 3812 /1986/1525mm
MERCEDES BRINGS IT’S A GAME
Our Rating: 7.0 / 10
There’s nothing else quite like the Mercedes A-Class. Steve Walker checks out the smallest Mercedes-Benz.
Safer, greener and slightly better looking, the latest Mercedes-Benz A-Class continues with its unorthodox approach to the premium hatchback sector. Unlike its rivals, it’s not sporty in any meaningful way and the engines that flattered to deceive in that regard have been dropped. Today’s higher-tech A-Class is content to offer comfort, quality and interior versatility and should continue to find a ready market.
With its tall shape and MPV overtones, the Mercedes A-Class has always looked something of a misfit in the premium hatchback sector. While Mercedes stuck to its guns, developing the first generation model’s practical themes to create the superior second generation car, its big German rivals were busy perusing more dynamic directions with their entry-level products. Now buyers are presented with the facelifted version of the second generation A-Class. Its core values remain but the hope is that the package is now even more persuasive.
In trying to pinpoint direct rivals of the Mercedes A-Class, it’s easy to end up in a bit of a muddle. The obvious candidates are BMW’s 1-Series and Audi’s A3 which, together with the A-Class, constitute the most affordable way of putting a new premium-badged German car on your driveway. If you take all that badge equity bit out of the equation though, the A-Class has more in common with slightly larger five-seater compact MPVs like Ford’s C-MAX and Renault’s Scenic. Punters after the spaciousness and family-friendly design that these kinds of vehicles offer twined with German engineering and build quality, tend to arrive at the same conclusion. Apart from the A-Class, there isn’t much else that fits the bill.
The engine range gives UK buyers four choices to mull over. Two petrol options are the most straightforward: there’s the A160 with its 1.5-litre 95bhp unit and the A180 with its 1.7-litre lump producing 116bhp. Performance is as modest as those power ratings suggest with the A160 taking 12.6s to reach 62mph from a standing start and the A180 doing the business in 10.9s.
The diesel options are more vocal than the refined petrol units but have extra strength at low revs for launching the A-Class about town. The A160 CDI is an 82bhp 2.0-litre affair while the A180 CDI has that same capacity and 109bhp. These aren’t really the kind of power outputs we’ve come to expect from 2.0-litre common-rail diesel engines but by keeping the wick turned down, Mercedes has enhanced economy. The sporty models which once sat at the top of the A-Class range are no more in the UK market and this looks like an intelligent move from Mercedes, leaving the A-Class free to concentrate on what it does best.
The A-Class prioritises safety and comfort over power and exhilaration. As a result, it’s well suited to the kind of driving most of us are forced to do most of the time. The tall shape facilitates a high driving position with a good view out that inspires confidence when you’re threading the car through crowded streets. The light steering and soft suspension also help to make the car an amiable companion but it won’t reward drivers who are hell bent on extracting maximum pace. High cornering speeds provoke considerable body roll but take things easy and the experience is pleasant and relaxing.
The Mercedes A-Class remains instantly recognisable in its latest form but anyone looking to tell the original second generation car apart from this facelifted model has a far tougher task on. For the record, the usual facelift suspects of light clusters, grille and bumpers have been tweaked but we’d be lying if we said that the alterations are groundbreaking. The MPV shape of the exterior remains, as do the people carrier design features that make the A-Class interior so easy to use.
The interior has been upgraded with larger stowage compartments and new fabrics. Passenger space remains first class considering the car’s modest footprint and the Mercedes can certainly teach the BMW 1-Series a thing or two on this score. The rear seats can tumble forwards to exte
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