Autotoday had the opportunity to be among the first to see the new Mercedes A-model.

The test drive took place on Croatia’s varied, hard-packed roads, which are clearly in better condition than those in Finland.

The original Mercedes-Benz A-series (W 168) was presented in Geneva in March 1997. The third-generation A-series (W 176) saw the light of day in 2012. Now the next generation is on its way.

The size of the car has increased compared to the previous version. The wheelbase has been extended by 30 mm and the front axle track width has increased by 14 mm.

Inside, the elbow room at the front has increased by 35 mm and at the rear by 36 mm. Shoulder room has increased by 9 mm at the front and 22 mm at the rear. Headroom has increased by 7 mm at the front and 8 mm at the rear.

The boot is 370 litres ( 29 litres). The boot opening is 20 centimetres wider and the floor 11.5 centimetres longer than before.

Visibility out of the car has been improved, as the area covered by the pillars has been reduced by 10 percent, according to Mercedes.

A new view inside the cabin

The car’s dashboard has changed quite a bit from the previous version. Now the navigation screen no longer protrudes from the centre of the dashboard, but is elegantly embedded in the dashboard.

The dashboard is dominated by two large screens, seamlessly linked together. One is the traditional driver’s display and the other acts as a navigation display, among other functions. The screens are either 7-inch or 10.25-inch, depending on the trim level.

The screen package is available in three different versions: two 7-inch screens, 7-inch and 10.25-inch screens or two 10.25-inch screens.

The A-series features the all-new MBUX multimedia interface, which the driver can personalise and tailor to suit his or her needs.

One of the car’s “great features” is voice control, made possible by the new MBUX system. Unfortunately, the device does not yet speak Finnish, and there is no word yet on possible translation. Voice control is an optional extra.

However, it is possible to communicate with the car in English, for example to ask for weather information and to give information to the navigator. Answers to even the most difficult questions are also programmed into the system.

During my test drive, my driver asked the car what the meaning of life is. “I would say that the purpose of life is to live one day at a time and spend as much time as possible with the people you love.”

Approaching autonomous driving

For the first time, the A-series allows semi-autonomous driving in certain situations. The car’s radar and camera systems can see up to 500 metres in front of the car, and several assistance systems from the S Series are available: Distronic Distance Assist, Active Emergency Stop Assist and Active Lane Change Assist.

Active Brake Assist is standard, which can prevent rear-end collisions and pedestrian and cyclist collisions.

The A-Series also warns of moving cars, cyclists and pedestrians while the car is stationary.

If the driver tries to open the door in such a situation, the system will warn, for example, of a cyclist coming from behind. The function will remain active for up to three minutes after the ignition is switched off while the car is stationary.

The traffic light sensor has been extended to include a warning for people in the crosswalk area and an extended wrong way warning function.

Three engine options

The all-new A-series models will initially be available with two petrol and one diesel engine.

A 200 A 200 A 250 A 180 d
Displacement cm3 1332 1332 1991 1461
Transmission 7G-DCT MT 6 7G-DCT 7G-DCT
Power kW 120 120 165 85
Combined consumption per 100 km 5,1 5,6 6,0 4,1
CO2 emissions g/km 120 133 141 108

The new 1.4-litre M 282 engine (A 200) uses the cylinder deactivation function in conjunction with the 7G-DCT automatic gearbox. Both petrol engines have a particulate filter as standard equipment.

Pleasant and stable ride

The car made a very pleasant impression. This car is probably a good candidate for the 2019 Car of the Year in Finland finalist. However, the race will be tight between all the new models of the year.

We test drove both petrol and diesel models and there was no significant difference between the cars. The sound of the engine is very quiet in the cabin, as is the road noise.

On Finland’s rough roads, road noise is probably much more audible than on Croatia’s smooth asphalt roads.

In the driver’s seat, you can say that everything is in place. The instrumentation is impressive and clear. Perhaps best of all is the very clear windscreen display, which was very visible even in bright sunlight.

It’s quite extraordinary that in certain situations, for example, the navigation instructions are visible from three places: the windscreen, the centre of the driver’s instrument panel and the navigation display.

The car comes with almost every automatic and driver assistance system currently on the market.

The lane-keeping system was sometimes annoyingly abrupt, as the lane-keeper does not steer back by turning the steering wheel but by braking with the wheels on the other side.

On a few occasions the car also braked lightly all on its own, but this was probably because the automatic braking control was set to the most sensitive setting.

The car is also almost autonomous, so on the motorway the car moved nicely between the lane lines, following the speed of the car in front.

All in all, the test drive gave a very positive impression of the car. The car is no longer a small car like the first A-series. It clearly has potential as a company car and a family car, for example.

According to Veho, the aim is to register around 1500 cars over the next year.

Production will start in Germany but will later also come to New Town

Production of the A-series will be based in Rastatt, Germany, and will be further developed by the Kecskemét plant in Hungary, Valmet Automotive in Uusikaupunki, BBAC in China and, next year, a new production plant in Aguascalientes, Mexico.

Production of the Mercedes-Benz GLC SUV will continue in Uusikaupunki, and the new A-series will replace the previous generation of A-series models.

The cheapest version of the car is the diesel-engined 180 d A. It costs €31 645 and the cheapest petrol model just over €34 000.

The new A-series will be launched in Finland on the first weekend in May.