Prices for mainstream models start at around £26,000, which gets you either the A180d diesel variant or the petrol A200. There are three trim levels - 'SE', 'Sport' and 'AMG Line'. There's a choice of five-door hatch or four-door saloon models. The saloon requires a premium of around £2,000 over the hatch and has a slimmed-down engine range - A180d, A200, A220 4MATIC and A250.
Every A-Class model comes well equipped. The entry-level 'SE' trim features twin seven-inch displays including a central touchscreen with MBUX multimedia system featuring 'Hey Mercedes' voice activation. Plus there's comfort suspension, 16-inch alloy wheels, a DAB radio, Artico man-made leather and Bertrix fabric upholstery, Active Lane Keeping Assist, Speed Limit Assist, a Keyless-Go starting function and air conditioning. The 'Sport' trim line adds LED high performance headlights, 17-inch alloy wheels, Artico and 'Fleron' fabric upholstery and automatic climate control. 'AMG Line' customers will benefit from 18-inch AMG alloy wheels, an AMG bodystyling kit, Artico and Dinamica microfibre upholstery and a three-spoke sports steering wheel.
This fourth generation A-Class is much better connected than before. Navigation functions, for example, can now be based on traffic feedback from so-called 'Car-to-X communication' where information gets fed in from other similarly-equipped road users. As usual, there's a dowloadable 'Mercedes Me' app that connects you into your car and can tell you things like local fuel prices or the availability of parking spaces at your destination.