MERCEDES BRINGS ITS 'A' GAME(some text hidden)

By Jonathan Crouch

Ten Second Review word count: 37

This improved version of the fourth generation Mercedes-Benz A-Class offers an even stronger proposition to buyers in the premium compact hatch segment. If you define luxury in terms of technology, you're going to like it a lot..

Background word count: 176

Want a case study in how to change brand perception? You're looking at it right here with this fourth generation Mercedes A-Class, in this case usefully updated five years on from its original launch in 2017. This car continues in its aim to make this famous marque one that more younger buyers could consider. As before, we're told to regard this A-Class as what the market calls a 'compact premium family hatchback' - in other words, a Focus or Astra-sized car with superior quality and a bit of extra badge equity. It's the kind of very profitable product that all the mainstream makers wish they could sell but which is primarily defined by this car and its two closest competitors, the Audi A3 and BMW's 1 Series. The frumpy first and second generation A-Class contenders didn't really threaten these two rivals in any meaningful way, but this car's MK3 model pre-2017-era predecessor really did. With its successor, particularly in this revised form, Mercedes has sharpened up the looks and dialled in more safety and media connectivity.

Driving Experience word count: 370

There aren't any handling changes as part of this mid-term update; as before, this MK4 A-Class feels precise and quite sporty to drive. The 'Direct-Steer' steering system still enables you to place the car where you'd want through the curves and really enjoy this Mercedes if you're a keen driver. Body roll's kept well in check and you're favoured with prodigious grip that's impressively untroubled by mid-corner bumps. What Mercedes has done is to introduce its 48V EQ Power mild hybrid tech into the 1.3-litre four cylinder petrol unit that most customers choose. As before, this engine comes in two states of tune, with 136hp in the base A180 or with 163hp in the A200 variant we tried. Either way, you now have to have the brand's 7-speed dual clutch 7G-TRONIC auto gearbox. The electrified tech adds a belt-driven starter-generator, there to give you a 14hp boost when moving off or accelerating in the mid range. It also makes the engine start-stop system work more smoothly and allows for longer periods of what the engineers call 'sailing' - cruising with the engine off when you're not accelerating at highway speeds. If you happen to be coming to this car from pre-facelift A180 or A200 versions of this MK4 A-Class, you'll need to concentrate hard to appreciate the differences; and you'll need to concentrate even harder to notice the differences in fuel consumption, rated at 47.9mpg on the combined cycle and 133g/km of CO2 for both models. If you want greater A-Class efficiency, you'll need either the 150hp A200d diesel, which uses an 8-speed auto. Or, if you can afford more, the A250e Plug-in Hybrid, which now offers a gutsier 75kW electric motor powered by a slightly larger 16.0kWh battery offering an EV driving range of up to 51 miles (7 miles more than before). The A250e has a similar combined system output as before (218hp) but now only comes as a saloon. There aren't any mainstream AWD A-Class models any more; for that (and the all-independent suspension set-up that comes with the 4MATIC system), you have to stretch to one of the 2.0-litre turbo petrol 8-speed auto Mercedes-AMG hot hatches, either the 306hp A 35 or the 421hp A 45.