Automotive News

Mercedes-Benz A Class Review 2022

Published 18 July 2019

This fourth generation of the Mercedes A-Class (family hatchback) offers a comfy and smooth ride with a luxurious interior.

9 trim options.
Fuel types: hybrid, petrol and diesel.
Warranty 3 years – no mileage cap.
RRP Range £25,975 – £57,885

Engine Options

There are a range of engine options with hybrid, petrol and diesel.

Diesel

For the diesels, the choices are a 116hp A 180 d, 150hp A 200 d and a 190hp A 220 d. All diesel engines are paired with an automatic gearbox.

The Mercedes A180d with an automatic gearbox is the most frugal. It offers an average of 61.4mpg and gets you from 0-60mph in around 10 seconds.

Petrol

There is a 1.3-litre turbo in two outputs: the 136hp A 180 and 163hp A 200, available with a choice of manual or automatic transmissions.

Moving up the range there’s an A 220 with 190hp (available with front- or all-wheel drive 4Matic) and a 2.0-litre A 250 – both are automatic.

There’s also a performance-focused Mercedes-AMG A 35 which is a 306hp all-wheel drive model

The A200 offers the best blend of performance, economy and emissions with an official figure of 47.9mpg

Hybrid

The eco-friendly plug-in hybrid, the A250e uses the 1.3-litre petrol engine from the A200 with an electric motor that increases the power to 215bhp. That makes it properly brisk (0-62mph takes just 6.6sec) while providing you with an official electric-only range of 44 miles.

Road Tax

Road tax for all models (after the first year’s CO2-weighted payment at purchase time) is £140 a year. You could spec an A-Class to over £40,000 with a few options, so models over this threshold are subject to the £310 surcharge in years two to six.

Insurance

Insurance groups for the A-Class start from 17 for the A180d and go up to 31 for the A250 and 37E for the most powerful A35 AMG.

Warranty

The A-Class is covered by an unlimited-mileage/three-year warranty, including ‘Mercedes Roadside Assistance’ for the duration.

Infotainment and SatNav

The crowded centre console and analogue dials have been replaced in favour of a new infotainment system called MBUX.

The standard set-up features dual 7 inch screens; an infotainment screen and instrument screen, both sit behind one piece of glass. Even on base models you get sat-nav, a DAB radio and a couple of USB sockets.

You will have to pay extra to get the 10.3 inch screens; the Premium package upgrades the Executive package enlarges the infotainment screen, but to get both in the larger size you’ll need to purchase the Premium package.

The screens control most of the car’s auxiliary functions, and can be controlled via touchpads, touchscreen or a voice control system. The infotainment system is better than that found in the E-Class and S-Class.

Visibility, parking sensors and cameras

The third generation Mercedes A Class had problems with blindspots, but visibility has been improved by 30% thanks to taller, squarer windows. All models come with a reversing camera as standard, but you’ll need to add the Executive pack if you want front and rear parking sensors.

Interior Space

Front Space

Previous generations of A Class have felt cramped, but Mercedes have addressed these issues, helped by the slimline dashboard. There is generous storage including large door pockets, good size glovebox and storage under centre armrest.

Rear Space

The rear also has improved space with better headroom, and slightly improved leg room with enough room for two adults. To give passengers the benefit of a rear centre armrest you’ll have to go for the optional Premium package. All versions come with 60/40 split-folding rear seats..

Boot Space

The boot will accommodate a big weekly shop or 6 carry-on bags with 370 litres of space available with seats up. With rear seats folded flat the space expands to 1210 litres. There isn’t a height adjustable boot floor as in other rivals such as the Golf to mitigate the boot lip. However, The good news is that the Mercedes’ boot is better-shaped than before, with a wider opening that makes loading and unloading large items easier.

Safety and Security

Euro NCAP gave the non-PHEV versions of the A-Class a five-star rating, making it one of the safest family cars you can buy.

Even the most basic versions come with automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, seven airbags, a system that monitors the driver’s alertness and a pop-up bonnet to cushion any impact with pedestrians.

On the options list is traffic sign assist (a camera that scans the road for speed limit signs and displays them on the dashboard) and blindspot monitoring.

Meanwhile, rear cross-traffic alert (this stops you if you’re about to reverse out of your drive into the path of another car) and blindspot monitoring are all part of the optional Driver Assistance Pack.

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