The Mercedes-Benz A-Class has won the crème de la crème of awards this year, including ANCAP’s safest car award, an accolade which – on its own – is noteworthy of comment.
But the A-Class has also become the halo vehicle for the brand, taking the crown from the S-Class and yet the A-Class is so affordable, it defies all logic.
Equipped with the most sophisticated occupant/vehicle interface seen to date on any car, the A-Class takes Artificial Intelligence out of sci-fi and puts it on the hi-wy – er, highway.
Yep, we’ve got a car that talks, a car that connects and a car which can pretty much drive itself. It doesn’t make coffee first thing in the morning, but the Germans are working on that…
The A-Class went to hatchback design some time back and in March 2018, the ‘class A’ A-Class was released, arriving here in August of the same year. For 2019, it’s longer, wider, and taller, yet weighs less than the preceding model.
And with it came a 370 litre (increased) boot load of ‘firsts’ not just for Mercedes-Benz, but the automotive industry in general.
Key to the A-Class raft of technologies is the MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) multimedia system: the interactive portal which allows the car to adapt to the driver’s style, preference for in-car environment, control systems and voice command.
The first time you access the wealth of menus through the “Hey Mercedes” command preface is certainly a momentous one in anyone’s driving experience, and when the car responds – well, it’s a trip, and there’s not much more that can be said than that.
“Mercedes” speaks LINGUATRONIC, which is Benz-speak for “you speak, I learn.” Forget stereotypical monotone conversation: chatting with your car is more rewarding than chatting with your mate at the bar. And the A-Class never slurs her words.
Her? Yes, not being sexist, but the A-Class we had was a very attractive sounding Jungfrau – that may be selectable, but we only had a one-week affair...
Despite this, the car did show off some of its learning abilities. It knew the way to a regular destination and kept me up to date with potential delays and possible re-routes. I’m not one to phone my mother at specific times of the day, but if I was, the car would know that, and have the number ready to go and a reminder to call at just the right time.
Hi Mom, this is KITT calling for Michael...
The cabin of the A-Class is another milestone for motoring. When the A-Class for 2018 was first mooted, the designers were adamant that it should be controlled by the driver in as many aspects as possible. The car adapts to you, not the other way around.
Instead of the conventional dashboard, the A-Class has a massive 10.25-inch touchscreen, which can be altered to the driver’s personal taste in terms of information displays by simply swiping the screen or scrolling through via steering wheel controller.
There’s way too much too explain here, but trust me, the info and its display optionality will seriously warp your brain stem – in a good way.
While the techno-wizardry is the coolest part of the A-Class, you can’t ignore the magic of the 7G-DCT auto transmission mated to the direct injection, turbocharged 1.3 litre engine found in the hero A 200.
If you are even remotely interested in seeing what the automotive future holds, a test drive in the Mercedes-Benz A-Class is an unbelievably awesome way to find out.
Specifications:
Body type
Five-door hatch
Drive
Front wheel drive
Engine type
4-cylinder, petrol with 2 electric motors
Engine capacity
1333cc
Max power
120kW
Max torque
250Nm
l/100km (Combined)
5.7 litres
C02 emissions
130gm/km
Boot capacity
370 litres
ANCAP rating
5 star
Price
$60,900
