Mercedes-Benz A-Class - An Absolute Stunner

Mercedes releases a new character from the factory – ‘Hip and happening’

The new A-Class S is an absolute stunner. Gone is the old tall hatch/MPV thing, replaced by a sleek, premium hatch that is Mercedes-Benz’s concerted effort to attract younger buyers. They’ve even created an iPad App for the A-Class so tech-savvy youngsters can spec their cars with added trim, wheels, accessories and sporty bits.

The new A-Class S is an absolute stunner

The A-Class gets off on the right foot then, banishing the BMW 1 Series to the ugly corner and deports the Audi A3 into bland territory. There are six derivatives to choose from: the Petrols start with A180 – 90kW and 200nm of torque, A200 – 115kW/250nm and A250 with 155kW and 350nm. The turbo diesels all dodge the CO2 tax and start with A180 CDI with 80kW and 250nm from 1.5 liters while a 1.8-litre option churns out 80kW and 260nm. The A200 CDI delivers 125kW and 350nm.

I started in the diesel range-topping A220 CDI with its double-clutch auto transmission on an excursion from Cape Town to Cape Point and back. The engine sounds quite gruff at idle but clears its throat once out on the road. With 350nm of torque available from very low down the rev range, the car pulls strongly out of bends and cruises well on the freeways. It’s an impressive motor: there’s no urgency about the acceleration, building up speed fluently rather than throwing down all the power and torque at once like most diesels.

Towards Cape Point the roads became a bit bumpier and far more twisty, providing an ideal test of the A-Class’ ride and handling. On the smoother road sections the suspension feels just fine, but over the bumpy bits I found the ride bordered on Crashy. The handling though is very good, the Merc cornering fat when thrown into a set of bends with the front end gripping nicely in the turns. It’s a sporty handler that is fun to drive at pace but could become quite tiresome on rough roads.

The interior is beautifully built, the circular air vents on the center-facia are a great design treat, as is the woven cloth facia option that looks like carbon fiber. The surfaces are smooth and luxurious – it’s a very nice place to be in. As a side note, opt for the electric-operated seats as the lumbar support can be adjusted, something the manual seats don’t offer that make for an uncomfortable driving position.

The interior is beautifully built, the circular air vents on the center-facia are a great design treat

At the halfway point I switched to the A250 Sport, which has had its front geometry set up by the AMG crew for an even more dynamic drive. The 155kW matches that of the VW Golf 6 GTI, so that was the reference point I was looking for when I buried the throttle. It certainly doesn’t deliver the same acceleration feel but, again, builds speed consistently to the rev limit. The A250 doesn’t feel excitingly fast but if you glance at the speedo, you do notice you’re going quicker than you think.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out this A-Class will sell like tickets to a Justin Bieber concert. It’s stylish and carries a German nameplate, which is synonymous with success, isn’t it?