Mercedes-Benz A 250 2019 Review

If you want the latest automotive killer app, this is it. The way the Mercedes A-Class learns your habits such as common call times, how it adjusts to your accent for spoken commands and allows customisation of its giant LCD screens is, well, like nothing else before it.

But more on that later, because first it's time to see how the nuts and bolts work. After all, even if a car has the biggest computer brain in the world with all the doodads, it still needs to get you from A to B effectively.

The new Mercedes-Benz A 250 gazumps the A 200 with its 1.3-litre turbo-petrol engine (120kW/250Nm) thanks to a significantly more potent and more refined 2.0-litre turbo-petrol powerplant (165kW/350Nm). And for now it'll only cost you an extra $2300.

Hooked up to a smooth-shifting seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and a more sophisticated rear suspension (independent in lieu of torsion beam), not to mention adding all-wheel drive, the A 250 is satisfying to drive.

The extra herbs from the engine provide the warmed-up A-Class with significantly better throttle and acceleration response than the A 200, which means you'll rarely be embarrassed at the traffic light tango.

This German hatch ain't slow – in fact it's a full two seconds quicker to 100km/h than the A 200… although it's not quite as efficient, with fuel economy rated at 6.6L/100km.

Acceleration is claimed at 6.2 seconds for the 0-100km/h sprint and that feels about right: It really starts to sing from around 3500rpm.

The improved engine response makes the car feel more assertive on the open road, when overtaking for example, and the extra control this provides is reassuring.

On busy arterial roads and around town the Mercedes-Benz A 250 is a handy partner, with a tight turning circle and light steering that makes parking and close quarters maneuovres easy, graceful even.

Parking is really easy thanks to the standard reversing camera and parking sensors. It’s not a huge car and its extremities are fairly easy to triangulate, so parking the 'old fashioned' way is straightforward.

In terms of driving dynamics, it's no BMW 1 Series through a sinuous section of twisting bitument but can be rewarding to punt hard on a smooth road. The only hiccups come when the stiff run-flat tyres encounter mid-corner bumps, which can fluster the car somewhat and upset its mid-corner attitude.

There's fun to be had in the Mercedes A 250, no doubt about it, and the new AWD system adds a little extra motivation in corners with more gusto. It can shunt up to 50 per cent of engine torque to the rear axle, which should help in the wet… and also when you're going at it hammer and tong!

The VW Golf GTI-rivalling hot hatch wannabe does a much better job than its feeble-engined A 200 sibling, and does it with a higher level of refinement too.

There's no hesitation between gearshifts and although it's not a particularly sonorous engine, it's not as raspy as the A 200's 1.3-litre mill (shared with Renault) when revving hard.

There are four different drive modes to select, including sport and comfort, tailoring engine and gearbox response accordingly. Paddle shifters provide a bit more control over engine revs too.

Quite a few, it turns out. The best one is the voice-activated, well, everything. Change the temperature, open the sunroof blind, tune the radio, set navigation and – soon – you'll be able to ask the car where the best organic ice-cream depository is.

Mercedes-Benz’s voice-control functionality is amazing -- a complete game changer -- and there is no doubt that it helps the car poop on its rivals from a great height.

Simply say ‘Mercedes’ and the AI-powered assistant asks what you require. You can also bark orders at the car fairly brusquely, such as ‘Hey Mercedes, turn on the seat heaters’ and it will do so.

The way the system can interpret conversational requests is remarkable but it isn't foolproof… especially in a media car that's encountering several voices talking in different accents and with varying cadences. It hit the target with nine out of 10 requests in this test.

The idea is that within six weeks the car will know your voice and habits more intimately, but we'll have to take Mercedes’ word for it for now.

Beyond the impressive voice-activated assistant – essentially the Google Assistant, or Siri of the car world – the new MBUX user interface also incorporates a pair of large 10-inch screens, one for the speedo and regular instruments, the other for sat-nav, audio and infotainment systems.

The presentation is impressive and these large screens and the stylised air-vents make a strong technological and visual statement when you step into the car. Overall fit and finish is a big improvement on the previous (third-generation) Mercedes A-Class too, with more premium materials used on the dash, doors and seats.

The exceptions are some of the heating/cooling buttons, which feel a bit plasticky a cheap. And while I love the design of the indictor stalks, which are kind of futuristic, they feel a bit fragile.

Traffic sign recognition is another cool party trick of the A-Class, scanning road signs to show the current speed limit, and it comes in handy especially when there are constantly changing speed limits.

If you want USB ports, the A-Class has five of them, which is pretty sweet. But there is a catch – they're the new USB C ports, which means faster charging and data transfer but you'll need an adapter to use most devices today, because the plug shape is different.

The overall look, feel and functionality of the cockpit is above and beyond what you'd expect in a compact car, but I guess the kicker is you'll pay for it. Forking out $50,000 for a city runabout is not within everyone's means.

You get a fair whack of good stuff with all A-Class models and this one comes with keyless entry and push-button engine start, autonomous emergency braking, a very good step-by-step sat-nav system, nine-speaker audio system with subwoofer, automatic climate control, parking sensors, reversing camera, digital radio, 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights with adaptive high-beam assist and wireless phone charging.

The wireless phone charging pad is great – and by that I mean it's massive. I reckon it will even fit the next three generations of mega phablets, let alone phones. The Bluetooth microphones located directly above the driver and front passenger generate very good phone call clarity for recipients as well.

Big bottle holders in the door pockets are handy but incidental storage is average for the most part. The twin front cup-holders are OK but probably could be a little bit bigger and the same could be said for the back seats. If you're over six-foot tall you should definitely call for the shotgun seat in this 165kW hottie.

Boot space isn't bad at 370 litres, expanding to 1210 litres when you fold the rear seats.

The Mercedes-Benz A-Class warranty lasts three years with no limit on the kilometres covered, which is one year less than a Lexus but on par with its Audi and BMW rivals. Service intervals are every 12 months or 25,000km, whichever occurs first.

There are no major flaws with the new A 250 that would put buyers in this price bracket off – except for perhaps the pudgy exterior design, but that's subjective.

I don't think this car is going to match the Golf GTI in a dynamic sense and remains too expensive for many buyers. But it offers next-generation car connectivity and I dare anyone not to giggle excitedly the first time they open the sun blind vocally.

As the AI software learns your voice and habits, it will create a deeper relationship between car and driver over time and could be one way to bring younger buyers back into showrooms.

Essentially an A 200 with the same clever MBUX system and a bigger, stronger engine and all-wheel drive system, the Mercedes-Benz A 250 is pretty much what the doctor ordered.

It's got all the gadgets and the premium presentation but with significantly more mumbo and grip, which simply makes it a more engaging vehicle – albeit it at a higher price.

How much does the 2019 Mercedes-Benz A 250 cost?
Price: $49,500 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 165kW/350Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 6.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 150g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star ANCAP