The original Mercedes A-Class, launched in 1998, was remarkably groundbreaking for a family sedan. Pushing the usual sedan design with the Volkswagen Golf and Focus Ford, the A-Class looked like a minivan.
However, although it had plenty of room for all passengers, its straight driving position and boring driving experience detracted from its success.
Twenty years ago and things seem much more conventional from the outside. This latest fourth-generation model is hard to distinguish from the more classic hatchback styling of the third version of the A-Class. But that's only half the story.
Enter the future
As mentioned, the look of the new A-Class is an evolution of the more traditional styling of the outgoing model. The model's mature and sleek appearance certainly divides it much less than the original model, but in our opinion it doesn't match the sharp lines and attitude of the king of hatchbacks, the VW Golf.
We driveMercedes-Benz A250 Class
Engine: 1.9-liter 4-cylinder petrol
Output power: 165kW / 224hp
Maximum speed: 250 km / h.
0-100 km / h: 6.2 seconds
Price: € 41,787 plus VAT
Climb inside and you'll be transported into the future, with an interior that is nothing like any other car. In fact, it is the first Mercedes to benefit from what the company calls its MBUX infotainment system; And while you can expect Mercedes to keep its latest technology behind its flagship S-Class, it's nice to see it here in one of its more affordable models.
MBUX is the acronym for Mercedes Benz User Experience, which places conventional A-class gap dials in favor of a large, widescreen cockpit with two screens spread across the dash. The entry-level A-Class models will feature two 7-inch screens, while you'll pay a little more and get a 7-inch screen and a 10.25-inch screen, and go for a high-end model like the one we've tested. you get two 10.25-inch screens.
The steering wheel is decorated with buttons and dials to control both displays. There is also a touch panel in the center console, which can also be used to interact with the A-Class. If that is not enough, the center screen is also touch sensitive.
Cabin quality and clarity are excellent, thanks in part to the 1920 x 720 pixel resolution of the two 10.25-inch displays. The instrument cluster offers three styles, while the sitting position, ambient lighting, favorite radio station, and navigation map orientation can be saved as a profile.
Complaints? You will find that the color of the vents changes from blue to red when the cabin temperature increases (and vice versa), which is nice, or a little trick, while the higher level of quality of the materials is diminished by column stems. rather dim and sticky that activate the gauges and transmission; they really feel like an afterthought.
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Voice activation
What is striking is not only the technology presented; What you can't see is just as impressive, that is, the class A speech recognition system.
Instead of requiring fixed commands like "home phone", the Class A uses natural speech recognition, called MBUX LINGUATRONIC, and is designed to include almost every conceivable command related to infotainment and operation. vehicle
It is activated via a button on the steering wheel, or by simply saying "Hello Mercedes", and will include commands such as "When are we going to get there?" And it will give you an ETA, while it rarely does not include Not the Question, it uses up-to-date learning software throughout the life of the car to expand its repertoire. This will also allow Class A to learn new buzzwords and adapt to changing uses of language over time.
In our experience, speech recognition was perfect for most of the requests. Whether planning a route or calling a contact was executed almost immediately, we hardly ever had to leave the road to fiddle with the controls. The only thing that annoyed us a bit was that the air conditioning was automatically shutting itself off briefly in its lowest setting when we said "Hello Mercedes". It is then restored to its previous settings when the command is run, but if you're driving in sweltering heat, you may not enjoy it as much.
There's an application for that
(Image credit: Mercedes-Benz)
Let's face it - it's 2019, so why shouldn't your car come with an app? The "Mercedes me connect" application allows you to share data in real time with your dealer when you need to repair your car, as well as provide you with useful information, such as reading the odometer, fuel levels and recalls when your vehicle expires. Your next evaluation.
The app also allows you to start the vehicle remotely, which is convenient as long as the car has a strong cellular connection.
On the road
We drove the A250 variant, delivered with a 1.9L 4-cylinder engine. With an output of 165 kW / 224 hp, it can go from 0 to 100 km / h in 6.2 seconds. The engine is nice and smooth at less than 4,000 rpm, but we encourage you to find your way and switch to 'Sport' mode for more fun.
In general, the car rolls very smoothly and acceleration is very fast - a simple tap propels the engine in sport mode.
(Image credit: Mercedes-Benz)
verdict
While we're still a bit delighted with its curb appeal, the A-Class doesn't disappoint on the inside, and that's where it will spend most of its time.
The elegant panoramic cabin and range of advanced technologies on offer are impressive, complemented by a cabin that offers a nice premium feel. It certainly has the wow factor, and we really like it.