Fun Merc with rough edges
Mercedes-Benz’s A-Class has grown a new flap, this one for electricity. On paper, that should work nicely. Nile Bijoux finds out what happens in reality.
The fourth generation of A-Class has been around since 2018, and we’re pretty familiar with it. But now, in an effort to greenify its lineup, Mercedes-Benz has introduced a plug-in hybrid version of its hatchback.
We like plug-ins here at Stuff, so we should like this, right?
So it’s a great blend of the excellent EQC EV and an A-Class?
Absolutely, or at least it certainly seems to be at first glance. The A250e uses a combination of a 75kW/300Nm electric motor and a 120kW/250Nm 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine. Total system output is 160kW and 450Nm, which is impressive, particularly in the torque department.
On the move, that torque is brilliant. The A250e pulls smartly up to around the 100kmh area, and even beyond that point it still has some power to spare.
It doesn’t translate quite as nicely to quick manoeuvres from a standstill, like trying to get into a smaller gap in traffic. What tends to happen – especially in the wet – is the front wheels light up for a second before the traction control grabs them, by which time the gap might be a bit too dangerous.
Mercedes claims an electric-only range of about 70km, and that was broadly achieved. That’s between 5 and 10 kilometres more than most other PHEVs.
Sounds like an easy recommendation then?
That changeover when the car moves from electric motor regenerative braking to the actual brakes is even more noticeable with the (optional) active cruise control system, which made sounds like the wheels were kicking up gravel when coming to a stop. The whole integration of the hybrid system seems strangely unrefined and coarse in the A-Class, particularly for a Mercedes-Benz.
So it isn’t up to what you would expect from the German brand then?
Not really. At least, not every aspect of the A250e is.
Grabby brakes aside, the A250e is a rather good thing to run around purely in electric mode – it is decently swift and easily keeps up with traffic, even at highway speeds. There seemed to be a weird hesitation when you nail the throttle and it starts to take off, pauses for a bit, then drops back into the acceleration again, but generally it is silky smooth and quite fun.
But in any other mode that uses the petrol engine, things come apart a wee bit. The petrol engine is harsh and kicks in noticeably and abruptly when required. That would shatter the serenity of allelectric running in a disappointing way, except, that silence has already been shattered by another of the car’s weak spots.
And what might that be?
The other weak spot the silent operation of the electric motor exposes in the A-Class is, of course, road noise.
The A-Class has always been somewhat notorious for road noise and, while the current model was a vast improvement on the old one, the removal of engine noise just serves to highlight the road noise still present.
A lot of the blame for that no doubt goes to the hard compound, low rolling resistance tyres, but it’s still not what you might expect from a Mercedes-Benz, particularly one sitting near the top end of the A-Class price range.
That said, the rest of the car is well up to snuff in build quality, slightly uncomfortable seats aside. It also pays to mention that the extra batteries eat into boot space. The A250e offers 310L compared to 355L for the combustion only models with the seats up.
On paper, the A250e looks like an absolute home run with its impressive electric-only range and the driveability of an agile small hatch with big torque and an added electric assist, but it just doesn’t come together well in the real world. It comes off as a poorly integrated, often crude, effort that is completely at odds to what we expect from Mercedes-Benz.
Any other cars to consider?
There are a few plug-in hybrid hatchbacks around now – the Hyundai Ioniq PHEV springs to mind, which costs less than the A250e and while it isn’t as luxurious, is a far more cohesive and refined package. Volkswagen is looking at bringing hybrid versions of the Golf to New Zealand, but they’re a few years away.
Ford is also set to offer the Escape as a plug-in, but that’s a medium SUV rather than a hatchback. The smallest plug-in hybrid from the other German maker, BMW, is the 225xe Active Tourer.
The A250e’s two most obvious and direct competitors come in the form of two small PHEV SUVs; the $84,900 Volvo
XC40 PHEV and the $64,990 Mini Countryman.
While it is priced between the two, the
A250e easily betters both on pure electric range, but comes up short on refinement and driveability.