The last I met the Mercedes A250, bling was its charm and sportiness was its forte. It wasn’t a bad car to drive at all, but meeting the new generation changed my opinion for the better. The fourth generation is somewhat bigger and a whole lot better to drive but there is more to the cabin that a soothing green light.

THE DIMENSIONS: Length x Width (with mirrors) x Height – 4292 x 2022 x 1433 mm, Boot capacity 341 L, Gross vehicle weight 1970 kg, Wheelbase 2699 mm

THE PERFORMANCE: A250 AMG 221 hp and 350 Nm, Top speed; 250 kmph, 0 – 100 as tested 6.6 sec, Fuel economy Up to 12.8 km/l as tested

Also available: A200 – 1.3L / 120 hp / 250 Nm torque / 0 – 100 in 8.0 sec / Top speed: 225 kmph

THE PRICE: Full option with comprehensive driver assistance package AED 199,500

UPSIDE: Stylish and sleek, Satisfying Drive, Rich in technology, Class-leading space

FLIPSIDE: Language option evolving, Navigation by voice not responsive, One too many options

The Design

Bling still marks the grille but it the lines are more refined and underplayed – more equipped to appeal to both the sexes. The car is slightly longer and wider. The headlights and rear lamps have moved to the new design language – longer, narrow and more stylish.

The Drive

The A250 AMG is driven by a new 2.0 L turbocharged engine mated to a 7-speed dual clutch gearbox but it gets half a dozen more horses to pull than the earlier 2.0L turbine. The 221 hp spins to the power of 350 Nm that is available from 1800 rpm onwards. The turbo lag doesn’t haunt you for long and the car moves without hesitation tracing a quick and agile path. Besides the sport mode, there is eco, comfort and individual driving modes, all of which are vested with the ability to fine-tune the steering, engine response and the ESP settings – one might expect this only in the individual mode. So, eco has an eco setting for the engine while the rest of the parameters are most often set to comfort but for the ‘sport’ mode where every setting is ‘sport.’ The ESP that allows for adjustment basically manages the distribution of traction and torque.

The steering is progressive – gets more sensitive with speed and as I tackle corners, the car clings more to the road. The car’s preferred ride conduct is of comfort and my bottom still remembers the firm style with which a well-balanced drive was delivered by the previous model. On bumpy roads, the ride can still be firm. On the sport mode, as the threshold is already crossed, the lag is least felt and there is an urgency to the way the car picks up – the test acceleration turned out to be 0 – 100 kmph in 6.6 sec. The sound is of any consequence only in the sports mode – or else is rather meek for the pace it keeps. The side-view mirrors afforded a good view rearward the way they were fixed.

The steering itself is quite good looking – with the AMG styling, it reminded me of the S-class. Both sides are rich with buttons to control the new dual cockpit screens of the new generation A-class.

There are ample driver assistance features in this one – but there is more available on order just so that you can be aware of the rising price line. Blind Spot Assist, Active Parking Assist with Parktronic, Active Brake Assist, Lane Tracking package and Active Lane Keeping Assist are some of them. My test car had only the first three. I could feel the Active Brake Assist in action as the brake pedal depressed on its own while on the highway or once while backing out of a parking lot. If you are on collision course, the car boosts your action or takes action on your behalf, if you are still thinking! The camera with manoeuvring assist proved to be a good parking aid.

On a highway run, I clocked 7.8 L/ 100 km, which is 12.8 km per litre, but a mix of driving styles gave up a bit over 10 km per litre. This figure can certainly be improved, as the promised distance on the brochure is a whopping 17 km per litre! Adding to the savings is the start-stop function.

Cabin and Controls

The cabin is the most striking change in the new generation – the lights, the colours and the gadgetry add to it. The ride is as noisy as you would expect a hatchback to be. The inspiring AMG cabin had Alcantara and leather with red stitching. From the soft touch material of the dashboard and the glossy plastic to impeccably finished leather, the materials in this cabin has class. We have seen propeller-like AC vents before but the lighting along their rims are soothingly nice (I just had to include a picture of those here) and so is the contour lighting along the dashboard and the door trims, with umpteen colours to choose from!

The greatest story in here is how the telematics is controlled. The wide screen that extends from where the driver’s eyes go to the centre of the dashboard as one continuous black tablet. On closer look, a ridge reveals itself between the driver information panel and the dashboard screen but this must be the widest screen to grace a subcompact executive hatchback (or any subcompact) ever. It is usually a set of 7” screens but my test car has the upgraded package with 10” dual screens. In front of the steering the screen shows the driver information gauges and navigation cues, and the central screen shows everything else. The navigation graphics are excellent and has a split screen offering turn-by-turn guidance, too. However, all this information regarding the audio, media and telephone can also be accessed on the driver cluster.

Besides these, there are icons called ‘comfort,’ ‘vehicle info,’ ‘vehicle settings,’ and the ‘Mercedes Me and Apps.’ So what do these convey? ‘Comfort’ has to do with seat settings, and a simple and practical way to set the massaging function – short journey, medium distance journey and long distance journey, which will decide how the movement stimulates your blood supply and makes you feel alert yet relaxed (the last image of the article). The vehicle info pertains to engine, owner’s manual and consumption figures – pretty comprehensive! The settings can be done in Arabic though I had to spend some effort finding how to switch back to English and some of the features don’t seem to show up in Arabic, yet. I will tell you more about the Apps soon.

Access it this way or that, or the other way…

If the extent of information impresses you, the ways in which it can all be accessed will do even more. The steering offers quick access with buttons on both your thumbs – the left thumb gives access to the driver info panel while the buttons on the right do things to the screen on your right – i.e. the central screen. Lodged amidst the buttons is what must certainly be the smallest touchpad you have seen – so simply by twiddling your thumbs you can turn the pages, browse through and choose from the options. So, how can the passenger control the central screen? There is a touchpad and a thoughtful wrist-rest but there are function buttons around the pad just in case you rather have the affirmative assurance of those! But then, it’s for the same purpose that the touchpad has a haptic response that acknowledges your input with the idea of a click. On the flipside, if you are in the habit of using the wrist-rest to while driving, the unintentional touch on the pad can change stations, and your mood in the bargain!

After all this, if you still preferred a more ‘direct’ input, the 10-inch screen staring at you is a touchscreen, which you can flip and flick through!

There is a word you can’t mention in this cabin…

Allow me to surprise you like a magician – you haven’t heard the last of it, yet. The Mercedes me isn’t entirely a new concept for those familiar with Siri, Bixby or Google Assistant. Mercedes me is your very own assistant in this cabin, woken up by the mention of ‘Mercedes’ – so you know what is the word you have to be careful with in here. This is another of those great innovations that is under the process of evolution. While it works well for the radio and telephone it is still quite hard to set destinations using this method – may be it has something to do with the region and will be sorted out soon. Something else Mercedes perhaps might bring in the next time is wireless charging!

Family drive

The entry level Mercedes has space even for the tall ones in the family, even though the car gives the impression of a low-flung car. In fact the new A-class is slightly larger than its German rivals in the segment. As the car is distinctly wider, and the rear bench is rather flat the passenger at the centre won’t have a tough time squeezing in! Even though the spare tyre eats up space, the boot is now 29 L larger and can bear that loss.

The storage inside has Mercedes style stowage nets on the front seat back, sunglass holder, a deep armrest storage, a niche for mobile phones with anti-skid padding and cup holders. For lovers of sunroof, there is a large one.

The essential Mercedes A250 AMG

The new generation of A-class is mostly new thanks to its cabin technology with a dash of refinement added in terms of space, styling and fuel economy. The dual screen and the all-round accessibility of functions underline the importance of interactivity in the evolving map of automobile. Despite the teething issues of the App or language, this seamless screen and accompanying tech acts as a great leveller among the Mercedes models from S class to this starting line up of A-class. Mercedes is making sure no one feels left out – nice!