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The new 2019 A-Class sedan is a gateway car, and Mercedes-Benz are not being coy about it. They've designed a new, younger generation of buyers and get them hooked on the brand, filling the gap with new technology.
"It is significant in that it's the first in the Mercedes-Benz line-up to get our new MBUX system, and this goes to our democratization of technology," Rob Moran, Director of Communications Mercedes-Benz USA, pointed out to me . "You're going to see the latest technology, but we're putting it on our most important cars, and that's why the A-Class is going to be the first one with this technology."
In the past, it might have been taken for the Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) to trickle down from S-Class, through E-Class and C-Class, and finally to cars like the A-Class. Upending that pattern is more than just delivering technology to the market as soon as it is ready to market, however. It's a recognition that, for the A-Class Sedan in particular, you need to know your audience is expecting.
Even putting technology aside, though, Mercedes-Benz has reimagined what has been a fairly polarizing vehicle for the entry-level offering. With the A-Class going on sale in the U.S. in early 2019, here's why you should book yourself a test drive.
Baby of the Class
When you first look at the exterior design of the new A-Class, you'll be forgiven for doing a double take and questioning which class of Mercedes-Benz you're looking at. While it has its own distinctive language design, the A-Class is more likely to be more narrowly defined than it is.
The look of the new A-Class is not for everyone, but I will say it looks good when in motion on the road. Bernie Glaser, Head of Product Management Mercedes-Benz USA, describes the newest design language as sensual purity.
"It means that we reduce the lines and the edges and the creases on the car. Gorden Wagener: 'If you take a line away and you like it, take another one away.' running through just below the belt-line and that's pretty much it. There are no more creases or edges on the car, it's a very evolutionary design, a very smooth design. That gives it a very sports-car look. "
How this translates is that the A-Class has sharper angles and creases at the front than the automaker's other models. The headlights lean in towards the top of the grill, giving the viewer the overall appearance that is being propelled forward, even when it's standing still. The crease-lines on the side panels do not appear as deep as on other vehicles that share this same design language, with the horizontal lines placed higher up, giving the four-door to more taunt, higher 'waistline'. Overall, these visual design provides an agile, enthusiastic and energetic feel.
Whether or not you want to be a designer for the world of design, with the A-Class setting a world record for production vehicles with a coefficient of drag at only 0.22. That should pay dividends for fuel-economy.
'Hey Mercedes' brings the car to life
Software is becoming a major differentiator between cars, and the A-Class is the first Mercedes-Benz model to be equipped with the new MBUX. Top level, which means easy-to-use touch-screens, reinvented menus, and intelligent voice control.
MBUX was announced at CES this year and really creates a unique experience for Mercedes-Benz. Having heard a lot of things with the help of voice control features, I can tell you that 'Hey Mercedes' is miles ahead in terms of both functionality and consistency. Not only can you control a vehicle, but you can also check it out. Mercedes can do anything, from the current football scores to the meaning of life. If you're curious, Mercedes subscribes to the Douglas Adams Theory of 42: The answer to life, the universe and everything.
She's smart, and getting smarter all the time. The MBUX assistant learns your clothes and can make suggestions: to get you to work faster via a congested route than what you'd normally take, for instance, or be more helpful, such as Thursday morning. There are no specific phrases to be learned, as Mercedes is using natural language recognition. Feeling chilly? All you need to say is "Hey Mercedes, I'm freezing" and she'll bump up the temperature. She can also handle complex requests and follow-up questions. Tell her you're hungry for deep dish at a family-friendly restaurant along your way and she'll make some suggestions. Then ask her to go out and she'll happily oblige.
A collaboration with SoundHound for the voice control here in the US is responsible for 'Hey Mercedes' accuracy, speed and ability to support context along with complex and compound queries.
The team at Mercedes say they will not give you the option to change the name of your car. And if the kids start demanding you re-route to the nearest ice-cream parlor, or keep trying to change the radio to the Disney channel, you can easily cancel the request via a button on the steering wheel or central touch screen.
In addition to intelligent voice control, the whole menu has been redesigned. The 7-inch – or optional 10.25-inch – touchscreen offers the swipe, pinch and scroll functionality you're using to your phone, and there's no need to dig in. For example, if you want to change your life, you can do it yourself.
"We are having a user interface," Alex Hindergard, Designer on MBUX, explained to me. "When you click on an application you can deep-dive, but in many cases you do not even have to. We designed the home screen with the most of your favorite applications and features.
With the instrument panel also being digital, you have the option to rearrange the gauges however you'd like. Alternatively you can use the built-in themes, or customize their layout.
Has been overhauled too, including features born from Mercedes-Benz's collaboration with UK company, What3Words. Every three meter square of earth has been designated to a three-word identifier, so if you do not have a street address but you've looked up the location in the What3Words app, Mercedes will take you there, even if it's the middle of the desert.
As part of the optional multimedia package you also get Mercedes-Benz navigation with augmented reality. While it does not turn the windshield into a transparent display, it does superimpose navigation instructions over your real-world view through the central screen, including floating street numbers over buildings and highlighting traffic signs.
A-Class size with S-Class safety
The interior of the A-Class is designed well, with plenty of room: it has the feel of a much larger car. You've got a big glass roof as standard, while the backlit, turbine-inspired air winds have been taken from Mercedes-Benz's more expensive offerings. There are 64 different colors available for the ambient lighting, and you can even set it to change the color of the air as you increase or decrease the temperature.
You can choose from a variety of high-quality interior finishes, with my favorite being titanium gray and black leather with brushed aluminum trim. However, no matter which options you choose, you can expect to experience luxury and luxury. Even after two full days of driving I felt relaxed and refreshed.
You're also getting help from the S-Class, from Active Distance Assistance DISTRONIC, Active Brake Assist with Cross-Traffic Function, Active Emergency Stop Assist to Route-Based Speed Adaption. The A-Class is capable of a 1.500 feet ahead, and is more likely to be able to use a computer monitor.
The Active Lane Keeping Assist is one of the best I've experienced, even around sharp bends at relatively high speeds, and I was able to take care of it. There was no ping-ponging between lines and you simply hit the turn signal to make a change. The safety and smarts in this car and the road ahead.
The A-Class comes with 17-inch wheels but you can upgrade to 18-inch or even 19-inch, and add the optional AMG package for a more aggressive look. The shark-nose is endowed with LED lights, while the tail lamps tap towards the middle of the car to give the impression of an even wider stance.
The A-Class four-door is available in A 220 and A 220 4MATIC models, both with a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline 4 cylinder engine, producing 188 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque. The transmission is a 7G-DCT dual-clutch. While not exactly on the line, the A-Class is a pleasure to drive at speed, and has more than enough overtaking power. It also hugs the road, and I was able to have some real fun when we got off the road and into some more playful turns.
Verdict
In short, you can expect to find a lot of usually-expensive features in this entry-level that makes it an impressive offering, especially given pricing is expected to start at around $ 30,000. From the hands-free trunk to the intelligent voice control I fell in love with the A-Class in a relatively short order. It's just a pity my love was unrequited. When I told Mercedes that I loved her, she responded to 'And I love road trips'. Ouch.
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