Mercedes-Benz A Class Sedan is a top achiever

After spending some time with the car I too found myself drawn to it and when Mercedes-Benz South Africa introduced the sedan variant of the A class, I was keen to get behind the wheel, and that is exactly what I did.

The design

As mentioned, the A class sedan is based on the A class hatchback, so one can expect similar front end styling like the slim headlights with Day-Time running lights feature and the sporty front bumper as part of the must-have AMG-line body kit, albeit an R25 000 option. In addition to the aforementioned front-end styling, the kit adds items such as sporty wheels and an equally eye-catching rear bumper. My test car was finished in white which enhanced the visual appeal of all the black trim items on the lower parts of the bumpers, wheels and wing mirrors.

I particularly like the cars side profile as it resembles a coupe although the roof is not as sloped as it is on the new CLA. The A class is more of a compact sedan and I would go as far as saying that I prefer it over the Audi A3 sedan, which, since its addition into the local market was at the top of my list, not anymore. Sorry, Audi.

Welcome aboard

The interior of the A sedan is equally as impressive as the exterior. The test unit featured a full spaceship-like interior, two screens adorn the top of the facia; one the infotainment screen and the other the digital instrument cluster which is, in my opinion, the best looking in the segment. You can fully customise the screen by selecting various themes to suit your mood while having the ability to choose what information you want to be displayed are amongst the plentiful options.

The interior is also a nice place to be with a good mix of quality and ease of use, simplicity and space which adds to the overall enjoyment. Being a sedan, rear passengers will benefit from best in class headroom (944 mm). The boot holds 420-litres and I found the boot opening to be wide, this too improves practicality, especially after a trip to the shops.

Under the bonnet

Under the bonnet of the A200 test unit was a 1.3-litre turbocharged motor producing 120 kW and 250 Nm mated to a 7G‑DCT dual-clutch transmission sending power to the front wheels. In Efficiency mode the A200 can be a bit sluggish on initial pull away, this is due to the nature of the selected engine mode but when activating Sport mode, it does liven up a bit. In Sport mode, the car will hold gears and sound strained at times and I found myself in Efficiency mode more than any other despite the indecisive pull away.

Verdict

The A200 returned an impressive fuel consumption figure within the mid 5l/100km range. The ride is comfortable and thanks to a host of safety features such as blind-spot assist, pre-collision warning and a whole lot more the car make for a great all-rounder. It’s strange what a boot lid can do because, although the A class hatch is a good car, it does nothing for me, whereas I prefer the A sedan to the C class and its competition within the segment. I don’t however like the price, the A200 sedan with the AMG-line kit will cost around R558 906 and that’s if you avoid the options list.