Mercedes-Benz A 250 sedan 2021 Review

The sedan version of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class was introduced in mid-2019 to sell alongside the hatchback variants and looks, in fact, like a shrink-wrapped C-Class.

Today there are four variants of the neatly-crafted A-Class sedan: the base-model 1.3-litre front-drive A 180, the 2.0-litre all-wheel drive A 250 4MATIC tested here, the A 250e front-drive hybrid and the hot Mercedes-AMG A35 4MATIC. The A 250 sedan was introduced last year and is the newest version in the line-up.

Sitting closer to the A 35 AMG than the micro-engined A 180, the 2021 Mercedes-Benz A 250 4MATIC sedan is a sort of halfway house that uses the same 165kW/350Nm 2.0-litre turbo as its hatchback equivalent and quotes a brisk 0-100km/h acceleration time of 6.2 seconds

Not as quick as the 225kW/400Nm A 35 AMG sedan (4.8sec) and nowhere near the rip-snorting 310kW/500Nm A 45 AMG hatchback (3.9sec), the A 250 nevertheless is filled with purpose, ripping off the mark with equal verve to rivals such as the Audi A3 40 TFSI quattro sedan.

It’s also way quicker than the similarly-priced front-drive BMW 220i Gran Coupe.

Tagged around $2000 above its hatchback equivalent, the 2021 Mercedes-Benz A 250 4MATIC sedan is priced from $59,600 plus on-road costs and reveals some waving of the AMG magic wand.

This brings 18-inch twin-spoke alloy wheels, a lowered but comfort-oriented suspension, tarted-up body styling at the front, rear and sides, and speed-sensitive Sports Direct steering.

Extra pizzazz in the A 250 sedan includes a monster sunroof, tinted glass from the B-pillar back, red-stitched, black leather-look sports seats (without power assistance), a flat-bottom three-spoke steering wheel with shift paddles, wireless phone charging, the obligatory brushed stainless-steel sports’ pedals and even a set of AMG floor mats.

Naturally, there’s standard sat-nav, climate control (with a ‘pre-entry’ function to prepare the cabin for you on particularly hot or cold days), auto-dipping LED headlights, push-button start-up and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity.

Our review car went a bit further than this by including three option packages, headed by the AMG Exclusive Package ($3190) which, among other things, brings summer/winter ‘Climatised’ front seats, adaptive-damping suspension and dual-zone automatic climate control with rear seat ventilation.

It also came equipped with the Driving Assistance Package ($1790) which brings DISTRONIC adaptive cruise control, active lane change assist and route-based speed adaption, the latter varying the set speed depending on what’s going on outside, such as negotiating a roundabout.

The other main option fitted was the Seat Comfort Package ($1290) which includes power front seats with memory. Add the Mojave Silver paintwork ($1190) to the bottom line, and all of a sudden the price had lifted to more than $67,000, not including the on-road costs.

Given the tendency at this end of the market to load up customers with a massive choice of options, it doesn’t necessarily come as a surprise to learn that powered and heated front seats are optional in the A 250 4MATIC sedan, though it’s a bit of an eye-opener to find that adaptive cruise control only comes with the Driving Assistance Package and air vents for back seat passengers are wrapped up as part of the AMG Exclusive Package.

At least it’s nice to know that, unlike some of its competitors, Mercedes-Benz offers a full five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty along with roadside assist for the full term.

As a pioneer in automotive safety, you’d expect Mercedes-Benz to front up with a comprehensive line-up of technology – and the 2021 Mercedes-Benz A 250 4MATIC sedan doesn’t disappoint.

Addressing passive safety are nine airbags – including side bags in the rear – and numerous technologies that include crash-responsive emergency lighting.

Active safety includes the usual autonomous emergency braking (AEB), pedestrian avoidance, blind spot and lane departure warning, lane keep assist, driver attention detection and traffic sign recognition.

Self-parking is part of the package too, as are run-flat tyres with a pressure monitoring system – creating, because there’s no spare wheel, a bit more boot space into the bargain.

All variants of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class carry a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating based on testing conducted in 2018.

If the performance stats don’t sound particularly exciting, the 2021 Mercedes-Benz A 250 4MATIC in the flesh comes as something of a surprise.

The direct-injected turbo four is quiet and smooth at start-up – as befits even a small prestige sedan – and the gearshift stalk on the right of the steering column is just another of a few novel means of getting you underway.

Admittedly, it is easy to use and functions in a thoroughly tactile way. You don’t even need to glance to ensure you’re in the right mode – forward or reverse – and there are shift paddles if you want a say in gear selection.

Not all that long ago we would have marvelled at a tractable 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that was able to produce 165kW and 350Nm of torque – it comfortably exceeds the BMW 220i’s 141kW/280Nm and the Audi A3 40 TFSI’s 140kW/320Nm – but the turbo-four A 250 does it with nonchalant ease.

Assisted by the 4MATIC all-wheel drive system, the A 250 can readily take on the character of a quick sports sedan – it feels quicker than the officially-quoted times and there’s even a hint of attitude in the engine note – yet it’s flexible enough to be equally happy toddling along in heavy traffic.

The fact that both power (165kW at 5500rpm) and torque (350Nm at 1800rpm) come on board at relatively low rpm helps.

Although it has some of the typical dual-clutch slight reluctance to hook up when moving off from a standing start, the auto wrings the best out of the A 250. The initial tardiness disappears once underway as the auto shifts with a crisp, quick, almost imperceptible smoothness.

The ride/handling balance is good, too. Unlike the A 180, which has MacPherson struts up front and a torsion beam rear suspension, the A 250 uses a fully-independent system comprising MacPherson struts up front and multi-links at the back to give a more compliant ride.

The wheel travel might be reduced compared to tamer A-Class versions but, undoubtedly with the help of the 225/45R18 tyres which offer a bit more absorption than the 225/40-section 18-inch rubber used on rival BMW and Audi models, what you notice, more than a slight firmness in ride quality, is the degree of handling balance and composure.

The variable-ratio Sports Direct steering – not used on A 180 and A 250e variants – does its bit too, helping straight-line stability and sharpening wheel response in corners without introducing extra effort at lower manoeuvring speeds. And the steering is quicker, requiring just 2.5 turns from lock to lock.

Given the solid output of the A 250 4MATIC, it’s no real surprise that it quotes slightly higher fuel consumption figures than the aforementioned BMW 2 Series and Audi A3. But at 6.6L/100km it’s not far behind the front-drive BMW’s 6.3L/100km or the quattro Audi’s 6.1L/100km. The 51-litre fuel tank should give a decent cruising range.

If there’s a downside to the 2021 Mercedes-Benz A 250 4MATIC sedan, it’s the legroom compromises that particularly affect rear seat passengers.

It helps that there’s scalloping at the back of the front seats, but there’s no getting away from the fact that the A-Class – sedan and hatchback – is compromised on legroom.

It might not be quite as bad as a first glance suggests, and it might be partly mitigated by the transverse, front-drive engine packaging which aids cabin space. But the A-Class is tight enough that there’s no hope of a stretched-out, relaxed long-distance drive if more than two average-size adults are sitting in the low-slung cabin.

Yes, the seats are supportive and comfortable and the shoulder-room is quite reasonable, but this is no high-riding SUV with the seats set to allow a more favourable, elevated hip point that helps not just with the avoidance of a knees-up posture for those riding in the rear, but also getting in and out of the vehicle.

Another slight downer relates to road noise. After only a few minutes aboard the A 250 4MATIC, the thrum from the run-flat tyres (Hankook Ventus S1 Evos in this case) and suspension is surprising and only abates slightly on the smoothest of smooth hotmix. This is likely made more noticeable by the A 250’s otherwise quiet progress: wind noise and mechanical noise are subdued.

Otherwise the experience – particularly for the driver – is alluringly pleasant.

The control systems – apart from the touch-sensitive console pad which unsuccessfully tries to combine the tech-savvy, mouse-inspired but awful system used by Lexus and the incomparably tactile, intuitive BMW iDrive arrangement – create an inviting ambience, and are quickly adjusted to.

In this guise, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class might be getting up there in terms of its high sticker price but it’s comparable with its rivals in just about any aspect you could mention, and has the mojo to justify it.

There was a time when car stylists didn’t seem able to get their heads around making a good-looking sedan out of a good-looking hatchback. The general result was that, largely because of their obvious practical advantages, hatches were favoured by buyers while the sedans were largely ignored.

Fast-forward to 2021 and the tide seems to have turned.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz A 250 4MATIC sedan, to most, is more appealing stylistically than the chunkier A-Class hatchback. The sedan also makes up ground with its useful 430-litre boot – the hatch starts at 370L and can be opened up to 1210L – and, although it doesn’t have the ultimate adaptability of a hatchback, it can still, with the help of its split-fold rear seats, take on board an awful lot of shopping if you decide to figure the rear seat into your calculations.

Add to that the unarguably swift surefootedness of this punchy all-wheel drive mini-Benz and you have a small luxury car that is hard not to like.

How much does the 2021 Mercedes-Benz A 250 4MATIC sedan cost?
Price: $59,600 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
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 2018)