Wednesday and Thursday of last week were spent driving the all-new Mercedes A-Class, and what a fine car it has matured
into. Gone is the high roofline and upright body style that made it an MPV,
replaced by a much lower and sleeker machine that’s now a rival to the BMW
1-Series and forthcoming Audi A3. The new A is a massive 400mm longer and up to
160mm lower to the ground than its predecessor. Dynamically, the car is
excellent with well-weighted steering that’s sharp and accurate on the turn-in.
The ride is sublime with either the comfort or sport suspension settings, or at
least it was on the ridiculously smooth roads of Slovenia. Not quite sure how
the firmer of the two will cope with British back roads. Also impressive were
the engines: all the petrol and diesel units I tried were quiet and refined,
and stop/start is standard on all. On the downside, I thought some of the plastic
in the cabin, particularly around the gear selecter between the seats, wasn’t
as premium as customers might expect. All in all, a highly desirable new car.
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