Skip advert
Advertisement

Mercedes-Benz A-class review - does facelift bring the fight back to rivals? - Mercedes-Benz A-class design

A conventional hatch now, the A-class fights hard in the premium hatchback class

Evo rating
RRP
from £19,990
  • Neat interior, head-turning looks and comparatively cheap to own and run
  • Dynamically it doesn’t live up to its visual promise, space and comfort are issues

There's no doubting that the A-class is one of the most interestingly styled cars since Mercedes-Benz introduced its CLS and it has gone on to spawn a whole range of spin-offs from the GLA crossover to the four-door CLA coupe and CLA Shooting Brake.

A revised exterior in 2015 sees the rear end of the A-class tidied up. Exhausts are now incorporated into the rear bumper, while the front of the car features a new diamond grille and optional LED performance headlamps. Rear LED brakelights have also been redesigned.

From the large front grille and its prominent three-pointed star badge, to the neat tail it’s an athletic and distinctive looking car. It loses something on the smallest alloy wheels, in most basic SE and Sport levels, and in the darkest colours, but choose any of the AMG trim choices and the A-class will turn more heads than any A3 or 1-series.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New Cupra Born arrives as a feistier Volkswagen ID.3, with bucket seats and up to 322bhp
2026 Cupra Born
News

New Cupra Born arrives as a feistier Volkswagen ID.3, with bucket seats and up to 322bhp

Cupra has given the ID.3-based Born a substantial refresh, comprising a new design, updated interior and physical steering wheel controls rather than …
5 Mar 2026
Alpine A390 v Hyundai Ioniq 5 N – are these EV crossovers fun as well as fast?
Alpine A390 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
Group tests

Alpine A390 v Hyundai Ioniq 5 N – are these EV crossovers fun as well as fast?

A world away from the A110, Alpine’s most ambitious gamble yet is a 464bhp electric ‘sport fastback’. Can it match Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 N when it comes t…
8 Mar 2026
My £2k Fiat Panda 100HP is huge fun to own, until you look underneath...
evo Fast Fleet Fiat Panda 100HP
Long term tests

My £2k Fiat Panda 100HP is huge fun to own, until you look underneath...

A trip to the garage unearths some nasty secrets in the Panda’s suspension
5 Mar 2026