Mercedes A-class

Golf rival impresses with refined cruising and smart cabin

T O MANY BUYERS IT’LL BE ALMOST immaterial what the new A-class is like to drive. They’ll wander into their local showroom enticed by the monthly payment plan of the A180d, open the driver’s door, and the deal will be done before they’ve fully whizzed the electric seat into place.

It’s not quite as inventive as a BMW i3’s multifaceted cabin, but the A’s innards are about as desirable as a conventional car’s gets right now. No rival is quite so slick in its ambience, nor as airy, with the instruments free-standing in a pared-back dashboard.

It ain’t cheap to upgrade the standard 7-inch screens to 10.25-inch items for the best mini-s-class effect, requiring you to spend £1395 on the Executive Pack (10.25-inch touchscreen, Active Park Assist, heated seats) and £2395 for the Premium Pack (10.25-inch instrument display, 64-colour ambient lighting, keyless go, upgraded sound system and a few other toys), but it’s hard to believe you’re sitting in a Golf rival when you do.

The luxury feel continues on the move. It couldn’t be easier operating all that tech, with voice commands in particular finally feeling like a viable option. Cruising refinement is excellent, with low wind and tyre noise, but the vibe is undone by a noisy and unsettled ride, particularly on the torsion beam-equipped variants lower down the range.

Handling is otherwise neat and responsive, if not particularly involving, and of the current engine selection the 2-litre, 221bhp A250 (£29,320) feels most Mercedes-like, with an easy turn of pace and smoother hum than the strained 1.3 petrol and quiet but sluggish 1.5 diesel. For evo- style thrills, though, we’ll have to wait for the proper AMGS to arrive.

Class-leading tech, slick cabin Firm ride, expensive options evo rating