LICENCE TO THRILL
1. IT’S A SEDAN
Yes they do still exist, although they’ve become the ugly ducklings of the dealer showroom as buyers flock to SUVs. If you’re not a slave to fashion you’ll be richly rewarded by the A35. It’s properly quick — Mercedes claims the 225kW four-cylinder turbo will slingshot you to 100km/h in about 4.8 seconds — and because it’s a sedan, it doesn’t baulk at corners like an SUV might. You will have to sacrifice some practicality and flexibility in the cabin, though. Packing a set of golf clubs and buggy in the boot requires some thought and dexterity. On the upside, you can leave the clubs in the boot and passers-by are none the wiser.
2. AMG HAS TWEAKED THE STYLING
Mercedes-Benz’s go-fast division has been given a licence to thrill with the A-Class sedan. The tweaks start with a meaner looking front end that has a distinct two-bar grille design incorporating an AMG badge and bigger air intakes on the bumper. At the rear, there’s a diffuser, twin chrome exhaust pipes and a lip spoiler. In the cabin, there’s a lovely flat-bottomed leather and suede steering wheel, heavily bolstered sports seats and an AMG-specific version of Mercedes’ digital instrument panel. The display includes a G-force meter, race timer and engine data.
3. THE REAL WORK’S GONE ON BELOW DECK
Adjustable sports suspension, a slick-shifting dual-clutch auto and all-wheel drive help to harness all that power and deliver rapid but civilised acceleration. A special sports exhaust makes the right noises, although its seems to have lost some of the snap, crackle and pop of the previous generation. You can select from drive modes ranging from comfort to sport+, which stiffens the suspension as well as sharpening gear shifts, throttle response and steering feel. You can also select individual, which allows you to mix and match the various drive characteristics.
4. THE DONOR CAR IS PRETTY GOOD
Mercedes-Benz’s interior design stepped up a couple of notches when the A-Class arrived. The centrepiece is a digital twin-screen set-up in front of the driver and in the centre of the dash. It looks like an aircraft cockpit when it’s lit up at night, with high-resolution graphics that can change colour at the touch of a button. The aeronautical theme continues with airvents that look like little jet turbines. You can even adjust the ambient lighting so they glow orange. The screens are easy to operate, either by thumb controls on the steering wheel or a touch-sensitive pad in the centre console.
5. THE PROOF IS IN THE DRIVING
At roughly $80,000 on the road, it’s a lot of money for a small performance car, but the driving experience doesn’t let it down. It gets off the mark cleanly and quickly and although a tad more theatre would be welcome from the exhaust, it’s a sweet-sounding engine. The transmission delivers sharp shifts and reads the driver’s mood well, choosing the right gear to get maximum thrust out of the engine. The suspension can be a little stiff for commuting on city back streets but on the open road it delivers beautiful balance and astounding grip. It may look expensive against a mainstream hot hatch but it’s a bargain compared with larger performance sedans.