Mercedes-Benz A200 Progressive review: An iPhone on wheels

Singapore

MAKING a stylish, desirable car is a difficult sort of alchemy, requiring a delicate balance of brand value, automotive design, practicality, and a hundred other things. But if anyone can claim to have something approaching a reliable formula for it, it's Mercedes-Benz, and that shows clearly in the A 200.

One obvious trick in the desirability playbook is giving the car design cues from bigger, more expensive Mercedes models that have more visual oomph.

In this case, it's easy to see how the headlights, tail-lights and big-badged front end are very similar to those on the CLS four-door coupe. Mercedes is investing in a new design language that embraces curves, and it pays dividends on the A-Class, which gains a visual glamour it lacked before. Besides, don't we all love to embrace curves?

The fetching new styling lets you know that the A-Class is leaving its ho-hum roots aside, and that rings true for the inside as well.

Some luxury cars make you feel like you're on the bridge of the Enterprise, but the A 200, with its slick mood lighting and tactile surfaces, is more like a Blade Runner-themed lounge - minus the post-apocalyptic grime, that is.

Bringing the sci-fi world a little closer is a new voice assistant named (what else) Mercedes, whom you can command to help you find locations, or to react correctly to certain utterances. Say, "I'm hot", for example, and your A-Class responds not with a wolf whistle, but by cranking the air-con up. (Come to think of it, the wolf whistle would have been just as nice!)

It's not quite as linguistically adroit as the system we previewed in the forthcoming BMW 3 Series, but for here and now in Singapore, it's the closest you'll get to proper conversation with an AI-powered car.

Even if you miss out on the talk, there are plenty for your eyes to enjoy. There's no missing the dual 10.25-inch screens (another premium feature co-opted from larger Mercs) that are the keystone of MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience), which is what the brand calls its new human-machine interface.

It's all very familiar to smartphone users, since the MBUX will adapt to your own habits (where you drive, what settings you use most often, and so on). You can customise it with themes, and even make different user profiles.

Like on every luxury German car, the learning curve can be a little steep, not just because there are so many things the system is capable of, but also the fact that you can use the touchpad, touchscreen, or steering wheel "D-pad" to interact with the system.

Thankfully, driving the A-Class is a far simpler affair. The 1.33-litre turbocharged engine is all new, and paired with a dual-clutch gearbox. Both have obviously been tuned for steady, stumble-free progress.

While the engine sounds undistinguished, the drivetrain delivers smooth, easy power that's good for navigating the urban sprawl. Though the new baby's ride quality isn't quite on a par with that of its big brothers, it does have a much more playful spirit when it comes to tackling corners and is decently entertaining to drive.

Like many European hatchbacks, the A 200 is capable of impressive frugality, especially if you engage the Eco drive mode. With 163hp on tap, it's also surprisingly powerful and capable of zippy turns of speed, even if its driving experience is collectively one of unhurried progress rather than undignified dashing about.

Style, tech, and the effort to become something more than just transport are what marks the A 200 out as something different. The A-Class has evolved from being a mere hatchback with a Mercedes badge to something more like an iPhone on wheels. It's not just a car, but also a smart device and fashion accessory.

But like Apple's flagship handsets, the A-Class isn't cheap by any means. The A 200 Progressive reviewed here is the least expensive model, and it already costs more than rivals like the Audi A3 Sportback.

That's a gamble we've seen before, though. Like Apple with its iPhones, Mercedes is confident that people will pay more to own the best and most stylish.

Mercedes-Benz A 200 Progressive

Engine 1,332cc, inline 4, turbocharged Power 163hp at 5500rpm Torque 250hp at 1620rpm Gearbox 7-speed dual-clutch automatic Top Speed 225km/h 0-100km/h 8.0 seconds Fuel efficiency 5.6L/100km Price S$152,888 with COE Agent Cycle & Carriage Available now