Baby Merc gets A for looks

The new A Merc has taken some brave strides into the future with sporty make-up.

No longer is it going to be content to play with hot hatch pikkies because with its new-found muscle and make-up it is ready to rumble with big boys such the new Golf 7, Audi A3, BMW 1-Series and cheeky Volvo V40.

Besides its completely new make-up, strong hints of SLS-styling, impressive comfort, safety and driver-aid features, the new A's strongest magnet is affordability.

There are seven models to choose from with the entry-level 180 BlueEfficiency kicking off at R275,257 and the range-topping 250 Sport version topping the list at R395,479. Across the range the price increases between the outgoing and the latest A-Class are miniscule.

Take your pick

On offer are four engines (four petrol- and three diesel-powered), three with manual transmissions and four automatics. Top speeds and range from 202km/h to 240km/h and fuel consumption varies between 4.5 to 7.68 litres/100km.

The standard kit on all four models includes air conditioning, Audio 5 USB, electric windows all round, headlamp assist, 12-button multifunction steering wheel, and a comprehensive safety package (including collision prevention assist).

Over and above all of its fancies buyers can also choose between "Urban", "Style" and "AMG Sport" design packages as well as many other (pricey) optional extras to customise to their personal taste and credit card melt-down levels. Most of the "extras" can be fitted to any of the model choices.

The new A-Class has style, but you might want to lower the back seats for a better rear view.

Having only recently seen the new A-Class for the first time I was not surprised hundreds of car fans from more than 50 countries voted it as "The Most Beautiful Car of the Year". It certainly is a good looker now that it crouches in a lower, broader and much sportier stance which will appeal to younger professionals.

Some brave strides

While its Mercedes-Benz DNA is still very obvious, the new A Merc has taken some brave strides into the future with sporty make-up which includes a sporty black mesh grille boldly embellished with a prominent three-pointed silver insignia, an aggressive front spoiler, gaping air intakes, slit-eyed headlights and chiselled body lines down it sides.

I recently spent a few days whizzing around Cape Town and the Boland in a 220CDI beautified with the AMG Sport package complete with go-faster red stitching on the seats and on the trim of the flat-bottomed steering wheel, plus AMG-branded floor mats.

The console is also brightened up with glitzy circular silver instruments and red dial pointers, brushed steel pedals with rubber studs, and aluminium door panels. These extra finishing touches give the living quarters a pleasant ambience of sporty but smart sexiness.

The sharpened steering is an absolute delight, as are the real superb brakes.

The outside also benefits from the addition of an oval tailpipe trim in polished stainless steel, 18-inch AMG multi-spoke light-alloy wheels and front and rear aprons and side sill panels. In terms of dynamics the "AMG Sport" package includes a sports suspension, lowered body, a sharpened steering system, and perforated front brake discs.

So it looks cool and has lots of bragging rights. What makes it cool is its lovely punchy diesel power factory under the hood which produces a healthy 125kW and 350Nm (from as low down as 1,400rpm) to give it a top speed of 220km/h and a 0-100km/h dash time of 8.2 seconds.

I'm A-Class, hear me growl

Initially the 1.8 diesel feels quicker than it actually is off the mark and it clings with remarkable tenacity through the twisties.

The sharpened steering is an absolute delight, as are the real superb brakes. I have never been a fan of nanny-state exhaust whispers so I instantly warmed to the amplified growl this diesel emits when you stamp on its tail.

Overall the new A-Class (particularly this one with its extra Sports add-ons) is a class act, BUT it is not entirely free of a few "Oh, Dears"...

When it comes to the engine... take your pick.

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The first thing to get a thumbs-down is its irritating 7G-DCT seven-speed transmission. Drive the car gently in city environment and the cog-swapping works reasonably well even though initial start-off response is not brilliant, unless you stamp down fairly hardly on the pedal.

When it does become irritating is when you drive up and down hills and in traffic moving at different speeds and the transmission cannot seem to make up its mind in which gear it wants to be. Of course you can use the flappies on the steering wheel but that does sort of makes opting for the more expensive automatic in the first place seem a bit of a silly choice.

A bit noisy

My other gripe (and gentle caution to potential AMG Sports kit buyers) is the thumping, bumping intrusive cabin noise brought about by the combination of lowered suspension and fat 18-inch radials of the Sports package. The poor state of many of our roads certainly also doesn't help.

As always, the living quarters in a Merc are second to none.

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As much as a enjoy sporty handling and the extra confidence the sporty suspension and nifty wheels bring to the A-Class I would not want to live with the Sports suspension and DCT transmission on a day-to-day commute.

A formidable contender

After just a day at the wheel of the new A-Class I also dropped the back seats down so that visibility through the narrow back window is no longer almost totally obscured by their high headrests. (And in the easy process of flipping the seats down I was pleasantly surprised by the huge amount of extra luggage space this created).

But these are personal observations and in any case do not apply to the A-Class in standard format which already is good enough to make it a formidable contender at this new level. Certainly as an every-day car it more than holds its own in the best of the rest in terms of drive, handling, comfort, safety, and snob badge appeal - and particularly in the beauty stakes where I would rate it Number One.

The new Mercedes-Benz A-Class models and prices are:

2013 Mercedes-Benz A-Class | In Depth Tour

Mercedes A-Class hatchback review - CarBuyer

Mercedes A-Class full review