Mercedes A-class petrol review, test drive and video

Driven flat out, the 0-100kph sprint is done with in a reasonably quick 9.76 seconds, and the car tops out at 202kph. But this motor lacks the trademark Merc smoothness, with some harshness at the far end of the rev range. The automatic gearbox has three modes—Economy, Sport and Manual—and for once, this is a Merc automatic that responds well to paddle shifts.

The car also handles very well and, for a front-wheel-drive car, there’s very little understeer; there’s great front-end grip and beautiful body control. It’s composed around corners and though the electrically-assisted steering may not be very feelsome, it is precise and quick to react. The A-class is also incredibly stable in a straight line. The brakes have great stopping power too, and the 21-metre 80-0kph braking distance we recorded in our test is one of the shortest we've ever done.

The ride on the A-class is decent, although it suffers over really bad roads and the suspension crashes over sharp bumps. However, for the most part, it handles what our roads have to offer impressively and the low-speed ride is particularly good. But the low stance can pose a problem with big speed breakers, and we did occasionally scrape the belly. Also, the cabin is not as well insulated from noise as most Mercs.

In the end, the A-class comes across a compact, premium and properly impressive runabout. It’s got almost everything we like about big Mercs — a solid build, high-quality interiors and a decent ride, all with a huge dose of youthfulness. The engine in the A 180 could’ve done with a little bit more grunt, but apart from that, there’s little to fault.

The bigger concern is whether or not Indian buyers will accept a hatchback as a genuine luxury car. But there’s a good chance the A-class, with its stunning looks and sheer desirability, could trigger India’s first compact luxury car revolution.

More on the new Mercedes A-Class

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