The first Mercedes-Benz Class A Sedan 2019: first class

The 2019 A-Class will serve as Mercedes' new offer. But do not get me wrong, there is nothing entry-level about it.

CLA class (only class A does not replaceBy the way, it was a car designed to cost less than $ 30,000, and these budget resources hurt its most expensive parts. So, rather than going that route a second time, Mercedes is not only trying to hit low and low prices with its new A-class sedan. The end result is a slightly more expensive car, of course, but which offers a correct luxury experience in a subcompact footprint.

Beauty is more than skin deep down

Class A makes a strong first impression. Its design adopts a minimalist approach to the exterior cladding – almost as if to intentionally distance itself from the highly stylized CLA – with smooth surfaces and soft edges, and a single line of character across its profile. All Class A models in the US market are equipped with standard LED dipped and standard taillights, 17-inch wheels on base cars, and larger 18- and 19-inch options for upper-level wheels. Interestingly, despite its more upright shape and lighter emphasis on spiral sculpture, the A-Class sedan has a super slippery 0.22 drag coefficient, which is actually more aerodynamic than CLA.

If the outside does not impress you, the interior will surely do it. A pair of 7-inch screens comes standard, but I can not imagine anyone buying this thing without the $ 2,100 Premium Package and its 12.3-inch Dual Screen Upgrade. Beyond the cool appearance, these screens bring a level of technology and functionality unmatched in the class of subcompacts. Below the giant screens, there are backlit vents that have substantial weight for their action, and the thin array of devices under the center column looks as good in this compact class as in More expensive mercs.

Despite its small size, the interior packaging of Class A is fantastic. Where the CLA's rough roof line is too severely cut into the back seat's margin, two adults can actually sit in the back of a Class A with a spare part. There is a large trunk in the small rear deck of the Class A, and many well-placed cubes and cupholders provide plenty of storage space for your daily tagalongs.

The only real proof of the price of the Class A is in the cheap plastic used in many places in the cabin. But Mercedes intelligently limits the use of this material to surfaces on which you do not normally interact on a daily basis, such as the base of the transmission tunnel or the underside of the steering column. The things you see, touch and use are of very high quality. And given that one of CLA's main problems is its low-cost cabin, this is one of the most notable improvements in Class A.

High-end technology

I will admit that I have not been totally sold on the new Mercedes MBUX (which I still do not want to qualify as "M-Bucks"). when I tested it for the first time in the European specification van earlier this year. But after a day of living with MBUX in Seattle and the surrounding area, I think the system is ready for prime time, but with a few small mistakes.

MBUX brings the first integration of the touch screen functionality into a Mercedes-Benz car, with a high-resolution screen that responds quickly to shots and pinches, and offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. My brain is still not used to touching a screen in a Mercedes, and if you're the type not to stain this screen, a redundant trackpad controller is in the center console, in smaller pellets on the steering wheel. An important point of clarification here: the A-Class trackpad is not like the horrible Remote Touch interface of Lexus. Rather than controlling a cursor on the screen, you slide in different directions to defined points on the screen. To be perfectly honest, I found myself using this interface more than touching the screen itself.

The Mercedes technology that is really pushing with MBUX is its enhanced natural language voice control, which, I admit, is the part of the MBUX equation that I'm still not in love with. Say "Hey, Mercedes" and the AI ​​assistant asks how she can help you, and you are supposed to be able to request information or order actions vocally in multiple ways. Yes, MBUX was able to tell me the weather in Los Angeles when I asked, "Is it cold today in Los Angeles?" And yes, he read the definitions of various words interviewed, and even made me laugh when I asked him to "tell me a joke" and his answer was "sorry, my engineers were German". But two things stand out, making this system still imperfect.

First of all, the microphone always listening is perhaps too sensitive. MBUX is supposed to come alive when you order directly "Hey, Mercedes" or "Hello Mercedes", but the conversation inside the voice that implies the word "Mercedes" is often enough to wake up the beast. (This is just as boring as my iPhone calling Siri when he says "seriously"). If you wish, you can disable the call feature and only use voice commands via the device button. wheel. Given the interruption of MBUX during a single day of testing, it is probably what I would do.

The biggest problem is what happens when MBUX does not know how to help. In a conversation talk, if you ask someone a question that he does not understand exactly, he will probably tell you why or will work with you to understand it. MBUX, however, just repeats his "How can I help you?" line until, if you're like me, you're just frustrated and shout "CANCEL" on your dashboard. I understand that natural voice control is a constantly evolving technology and that not all systems understand each person every time. Fortunately, Mercedes says it is working continuously to improve this technology and will be able to send updates to vehicles over the air.

The technology of driving assistance is also rich in supplies such as adaptive cruise control, steering assistance, brake assist, lane change assistance, l & rsquo; Speed ​​adjustment, blind spot monitoring, Package. A head-up display is also optional, but given the size of the large group of reconfigurable digital gauges, I can not imagine needing redundant information projected onto the windshield of the car.

Solid on the road

We will have Class A in the A220 and A220 4Matic AWD front-wheel drive versions in the United States, both equipped with the same 2.0-liter turbocharged I4 engine with 188 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque. That's a little less than the 208 horsepower and 258 foot-pounds engineered by the 2.0-liter CLA250 engine, but that does not deter you. The A220 is much richer than what his figures might suggest.

A seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox handles shift-shifting tasks, with only a bit of occasional quirk when engaging the first gear off the line. Otherwise, whatever the driving mode (comfort, sport or eco), the transmission offers fast and smooth shifts, and behaves better when it is left to itself. The steering wheel mounted shift paddles are mounted on the A220 and, without any real improvement in the quality of gear changes or driver engagement, it's best to leave them alone.

The A220 is nice and easy to drive, with stable and stable steering characteristics. All Class A sedans on the US market use a MacPherson strut front suspension and multi-link rear suspension, with lowered springs on AMG cars, like the one you see here, as well as adaptive dampers available. Curiously, the A220 front-wheel drive has a much better ride quality than the 4Matic version, with well-controlled body movements and a firm but fully compliant ride. The four-wheel drive car, on the other hand, combines difficult initial impacts with a lot of vertical and bouncy side movements. Hope this quirk is only a result of the pre-production build status of the test car. I will come back to this when an A220 enters the Roadshow office in Los Angeles in a few months.

Worth every penny

It is also at this point that I will be able to reveal to you the complete data on prices and fuel savings, as both are still unknown at this time. The CLA class made the headlines when it debuted because of its lower price than $ 30,000, but again, this is not the class A mission. Currently, Mercedes says the A220 will start "under $ 35,000". I guess $ 34,000. Or like, $ 34,990.

Like the CLA, you will probably not see many Class A models in the low end of the price spectrum. My test car carries about $ 15,000 in options, so I have no doubt that it will be easy to push an A220 4Matic far beyond $ 50,000. At this point, a light-weight C-Class, which starts just above $ 40,000, also appears.

Again, Class A is in many ways a more convincing option than the Class C. It is undoubtedly more attractive, just as enjoyable to drive and offers more robust on-board technical experience with convenient cab appointments. always at a Mercedes-Benz. This is what the CLA class should have done since the beginning. It will not carry this price lower than $ 30,000, but make no mistake, you will get your money's worth.

Editor's note: Roadshow accepts multi-day loans from builders to provide editorial reviews. All the criticisms of marked vehicles are completed on our territory and according to our conditions. However, for this feature, the manufacturer has covered travel expenses. It is common in the automotive industry because it is much cheaper to ship reporters in cars than to ship cars to reporters.

The judgments and opinions of the Roadshow editorial team are ours and we do not accept paid editorial content.