2018 Mercedes A-Class A200 Review

Mercedes says it wants to “drive emotional connections”... That’s exactly what it feels like sitting behind the wheel of the new Mercedes A-Class A200 AMG. Mercedes have really stepped things up a knotch and introduced AI (Artificial Intelligence) to deliver the most unique Driver experience yet. The Rivervale guide to the A Class tells you everything you need to know about specs, engines, tech and boot space.

Our Sales Executive Jack Fuller takes you through all the changes and improvements to the 2018 Mercedes A-Class A200 AMG Line specification…

The history of Mercedes AMG

Mercedes A Class exterior features

Starting with the outside of the car, the A-Class has been been given a facelift and now has a more refined, aggressive profile, which means it’ll have no problem standing out against its premium hatch rivals from BMW and Audi.

Our Mercedes A Class leasing prices start from £324.35 exc. VAT per month

The front of the car has had a huge makeover (much like the other sections of the car) with an all-new diamond studded grill (not real diamonds of course). At the rear, there are new 18-inch alloy wheels too. The A200 is 6mm taller, 16mm wider and 120mm longer than last years model, which means more in the boot and inside…

Mercedes A Class boot space

At the rear the boot has been economically redesigned to make it more user-friendly, with 20 centimetres width and 11.5 centimeters length enhancements. It can now also carry more as its overall volume has been increased by 29 litres to 370 litres. In addition to the boot space, the seats can be lowered to maximise this even more, which means you can fit in larger items.

Interior & tech features of the Mercedes A Class

As soon as you enter into the new A-Class, you’ll clearly notice that the car has had a significant interior overhaul; it’s more spacious, more comfortable and even looks more sporty than its outgoing predecessor (see below). From behind the wheel, the first thing that immediately stands out is the huge display. Every car comes standard with a pair of 7-inch touch screens, with the option to upgrade to a 10.25-inch. If you want to control the driver's display in front of you, you can use the right side of the steering wheel. As for the centre console display, you can either use the buttons on the left side of the steering wheel or you operate it by physically using your fingers to tap and swipe backwards and forwards. It’s interactive and highly responsive and accurate. If you opt for the 10.25-inch screen, you’ll have the option to select many cool features like augmented reality sat nav (£495), which displays images and location information such as street names and house numbers. Just below the dash, you will find a touchpad where you can also control both touchscreens.

In addition to the fancy tech and the dash, there is an all-new MBUX system which allows you to control the car via voice activation. In order for it to be activated, you must prompt the car with a request, for example “Hey Mercedes… play radio 1” and then it starts to play. You can even ask it to adjust the climate control and ambient lighting.

There are also these really funky looking turbine fans that release an array of coloured lights. Altogether the A-Class can display up to 64 different lights, which makes it perfect for driving down dark tunnels or when there's no lighting on the motorway. From the driver's perspective, everything you need is there - the steering wheel is small, there aren’t too many buttons on the display and the infotainment system is highly responsive and interactive, allowing you to fully enjoy the ride ahead.

Mercedes A Class Performance

The A-Class produces a 164 bhp 1.3 litre petrol engine and goes from 0-100 mph in 8 seconds,which features cylinder deactivation technology. It’s perhaps not the fastest car on the road, but it is fast enough. You can also put the car in dynamic mode and sports mode and this makes the suspension much stiffer, which in turn makes the car drive more smoothly on the road. This is predominantly where Mercedes have really upped their game.

What engines are available?

There are three engines to select from: A180d diesel,A200 petrol and A250 petrol. The A200 and A250 models manages 53.3mpg. Interestingly, the Diesel version manages 68.9 mgp which is very impressive. So for those who travel longer distances, the diesel model might be a better fit for you. Business users might favour the petrol model simply because of the the low BiK (benefit in kind) ratings.

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Mercedes A Class Trim Levels

There are three trim levels available in the UK: The SE, Sport and AMG Line. Standard features for each model can be seen as per the tables below;

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