Skip advert
Advertisement

Mercedes-Benz A-class review - does facelift bring the fight back to rivals? - Mercedes-Benz A-class interior and tech

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

The A-Class interior is amongst the best in the business. Even in range-entry spec, touch points are good and everything feels nice and solid. Increased options for customisation from 2015 see range-topping variants boasting added leather and better materials.

Also now available is an optional 20.3cm nav screen, which ensures that the tech onboard the A-Class easily stays alongside a well specified BMW 1-series. Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink have also now been added.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The textures, from the soft touch plastics on the door handles to the smooth tactile finishes on the control surfaces and column stalks, the A-class feels reassuringly premium, even if the odd iffy plastic creeps in out of sight.

It’s pretty tight in the cabin for space, though; it's fine for those up front, the driving position good with plenty of adjustment, but in the rear head- and legroom aren’t at the more generous end of the spectrum. An A3 Sportback is more accommodating and less claustrophobic, while access (even though the A-class is exclusively five-door) isn’t particularly easy to the back, either.  

Unusually for Mercedes-Benz the boot is the smallest in its class, it giving away a handful of litres to its key rivals.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Puncture-proof airless tyres are on the horizon, but they won’t work on performance cars
Airless tyres
News

Puncture-proof airless tyres are on the horizon, but they won’t work on performance cars

Airless tyre technology developed by the likes of Goodyear, Michelin and Bridgestone could see use in autonomous vehicles and public transport in the …
28 Nov 2025
How a sub-200bhp runabout exposes the problem with today’s performance cars
695C Turismo
Opinion

How a sub-200bhp runabout exposes the problem with today’s performance cars

A shortage of long-term test cars flags up a wider problem, says Meaden
27 Nov 2025
BMW Z4 M40i Handschalter Fast Fleet test – living with Munich's manual drop-top
evo Fast Fleet BMW Z4 Handschalter
Long term tests

BMW Z4 M40i Handschalter Fast Fleet test – living with Munich's manual drop-top

Is top-down motoring in winter a folly? Not if you time it right…
27 Nov 2025