Mercedes-Benz A-Class A180d AMG Line 2018 : bigger in every important direction

The new A-Class is bigger in every important direction including a 30mm longer wheelbase, but it's 20kg lighter – commendable given the enhanced content it must carry.
At launch, there will be only an A180d diesel, along with A200 and A250 petrol models, all with seven-speed dual-clutch transmissions. An A180 petrol will be on sale before the end of the year, as will a manual six-speed gearbox, while A200d and A220d diesels will come on stream in early 2019.
First, a word of caution. We can only review cars in the spec they are supplied and, as is so often the case with new launches, Mercedes chose to provide only the most luxuriously appointed A-Classes, laden with myriad options – some of which, like the driver assistance systems, won’t be available in the UK until September.

The slightly irksome consequence of this decision is that we have no idea what the interior ambience of an entry-level car might be, with two smaller TFT screens in place of the impressively monstrous ones on the cars we tested.
More troubling is the fact that this is the first Mercedes designed with torsion beam rear suspension – a design deployed on all affordable hatchbacks partly for space efficiency but mainly because the design is cheap as buttons compared with a fully independent rear end.
A multi-link rear axle exists, but only on the A250 as standard. It’s available on the A200 only if you choose the top-spec AMG Line trim; SE and Sport customers miss out.  Despite this profound change in suspension philosophy, Mercedes saw fit to bring not one beam-axle car to the launch. Its chief engineer, Jörg Bartels, insists it’s almost impossible to tell the difference and I believe he believes that. Everyone else, cynical hacks included, will reach their own conclusions about the decision not to let journalists see for themselves.
In the meantime, welcome to the most plush, sophisticated interior ever seen on a car of this kind. The perceived quality is fabulous and the design streets ahead of the rather predictable cockpits of even its best rivals.

The engine in the A180d is a 1.5-litre motor supplied to Mercedes by the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance and produces a modest 114bhp and a claimed 68.9mpg. Fuel economy is a poorer figure than the 74.3mpg of the similar engine it replaces and comes with a commensurate hit in CO2 – but only because the NEDC 2 figures now have to be reversed back out of new WLTP data, not because the car uses any more juice in the real world. Mercedes says that, in typical driving, the new car uses less fuel than the previous one.
Compared with the 2.1-litre diesel engine in more powerful versions of the last A-Class, it’s a paragon of refinement, although Mercedes’ all-new 2.0-litre diesel will likely combine both proper power with proper manners within the year.
The problem for diesel hunters, in the meantime, is that this A180d motor offers very modest performance. Overtaking needs to be planned well in advance, even though the Getrag transmission works tirelessly and effectively to make the most of what little urge is available.

The 161bhp 1.3-litre joint-venture petrol engine in the A200 offers a rather strained-sounding step in the right direction, but it’s only when you saddle up the excellent home-grown 221bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine in the A250 that the A-Class offers both the performance and character you might hope and expect to find in a Mercedes. Interestingly, the A250 has a Benz gearbox but, as far as I could see, it is no better or worse than the Getrag one in its less powerful siblings.
For those happy to leave the overtaking to others, the A180d has much to offer, even beyond the realm of its glitzy interior and a usefully enlarged rear cabin offering more space in every direction save leg room, which remains unchanged.

The ride is quite superb, at least with the expensive rear suspension; it's dramatically better than the last A-Class and probably class-leading. It’s compliant yet controlled, and I could fault only the very slight vertical movement found when you drive the wheels off it on a very difficult road. I can’t see too many owners being unduly troubled by that.
Where the car falls down, unexpectedly and badly, is in its steering. What is hard to understand is that the previous A-Class, while no BMW 1 Series, always responded to your inputs as you might hope and expect. But the new A-Class’s steering feels far more remote and less connected to the road. At higher speeds and despite a fine chassis that’s stable when you need it and adjustable when you don’t, you still find yourself thinking far harder about placing the car on the road than you’d choose. The brakes are over-assisted, too, although unlike the steering you acclimatise to that particular foible in time.

For now, though, let’s consider what Mercedes has achieved here, which is the most technically advanced, quiet, comfortable, luxurious and just plain sophisticated family hatch the world has seen.
Should it be allowed to eclipse everything else that has been achieved here? Of course not, but it should at least be borne in mind. In many areas, this A-Class sets new standards of hatchback design but, with a bit more attention paid to the way it stops and steers, it could have been a landmark.
Mercedes-Benz A-Class A180D AMG Line DCT
Where Croatia Price £28,280; On sale now; Engine 4 cyl, 1461cc, turbocharged diesel; Power 114bhp at 5000rpm; Torque 192lb ft at 1750rpm; Gearbox 7-spd double clutch; Kerb weight 1445kg; Top speed 126mph; 0-62mph 10.5sec; Fuel economy 68.9mpg; CO2 111g/km; Rivals Audi A3 1.6 Sport S Tronic, BMW 118d M Sport

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