The A-Class Saloon offers an interesting proposition to buyers who'd like a compact four-door Mercedes but have no need to stretch up to a C-Class. Jonathan Crouch takes a look at the updated model.

Ten Second Review

Mercedes wants its A-Class to meet a wide cross-section of customer needs. That's why as part of this updated fourth generation model line-up, the company continues to include this Saloon body style. To compensate for the lack of a hatch, you get a little extra rear seat room and a big 420-litre boot. And arguably, a little extra style.

Background

You'd have thought that the market for really compact premium brand saloons might be a little bigger than it is. Normal 'D'-segment premium brand four-door models like the BMW 3 Series, the Audi A4 and the Mercedes C-Class have, after all, become fairly expensive in recent times, with prices starting at well over £35,000. If in contrast, you could get much the same thing for a ferw thousand less, that'd have to be an interesting proposition for middle managers. Wouldn't it? Audi thought so, launching its A3 saloon in 2015. But BMW didn't respond at all and Mercedes initially fielded only its CLA four-door Coupe - which wasn't quite the same thing. In 2019 though, Mercedes decided to do the job properly, introducing a proper notchback four-door version of the fourth generation A-Class, a model variant updated three years on to create the car we're going to look at here. Let's check this saloon out.

Driving Experience

Probably the most significant change with this updated version of the MK4 A-Class Saloon is that all the mainstream petrol engines now come with the brand's 48V mild hybrid system including the usual MHEV belt-driven starter-generator: that'll give you a 13hp boost when moving off. There are now only three mainstream engines, all of them four cylinder units driving the front wheels. As before, the petrol powerplant portfolio kicks off with a 1.4-litre powerplant, offered with either 136hp (in the A 180) or 163hp (in the A 200). Both must be had with 7-speed 7G-DCT auto transmission. The alternative is the A 200 diesel, which uses a 2.0-litre powerplant in a 150hp state of tune and must be had with 8-speed 8G-DCT auto transmission. A cleverer choice if you can afford it though, is the A 250 e Plug-in Hybrid powertrain offered in the Saloon version, which combines a 1.3-litre petrol engine with a 75kW electric motor and offers an EV driving range of up to 58 miles. If you need a more sporting A-Class Saloon, you'll turn your attention to the two Mercedes-AMG 2.0-litre petrol turbo hot hatch variants. There's the A 35 4MATIC which gains the 48V mild hybrid system, uses an 8-speed DCT auto and offers a potent 306hp. And the un-electrified A 45 S 4MATIC+, which has 421hp and is really wild. What else do you need to know? Well the suspension is the usual torsion beam rear set-up on most models, but if you go for a Mercedes-AMG sports variant with 4MATIC AWD, you'll get a more sophisticated multi-link rear set-up. Across the range, the 'DYNAMIC SELECT' driving modes system is standard, as usual enabling you to tweak steering feel and throttle response. Some of the autonomous driving capability from larger Mercedes models has been built into this one, meaning that, in certain situations, your A-Class Saloon, if appropriately equipped, will effectively be able to drive itself on dual carriageways at cruising speeds.

Design and Build

This Saloon A-Class model is 130mm longer than its hatch stablemate, but sits on the same wheelbase. The long wheelbase version of this four-door is limited to the Chinese market. The standard wheelbase model for Europe gets a modular two-part rear bumper and what Mercedes calls a 'muscular and sensual' shoulder line. You have to look very closely to see the facelift update changes - a pair of power bulges in the low bonnet, a revised front bumper design and a smarter star-pattern radiator grille. The angular LED High Performance headlamps are also flatter and the 'AMG Line' trim levels that almost everyone chooses get a revised rear diffuser. As before, large wheel arches house big rims (ranging from 17 to 19 inches) that sit this A-Class squarely on the road. This facelifted model doesn't look much different inside either, though Mercedes has updated the steering wheel (trimmed in soft Nappa leather), revised the 'comfort' seat design of more affordable variants and added a standard reversing camera, along with an extra USB-C port with a higher charging capacity. More significantly, the MBUX infotainment system has been updated and can now be ordered with fingerprint sensor access. It also gains more advanced speech recognition and wireless 'Apple CarPlay'/'Android Auto' smartphone-mirroring. And there are three fresh screen display styles - ''Classic', 'Sporty' and 'Discreet'. The cabin design is of course exactly the same as in an A-Class hatch. The usual instrument binnacle cowl has been completely dispensed with, so the wing-shaped main body of the dashboard can extend from one front door to the other with no visual discontinuity. A virtual instrument screen of 10.25-inches in size replaces the usual dials and is joined with a centre-dash infotainment display (again 10.25-inches in size) to create one continuous monitor, much as you get in larger Mercedes models. Obviously, this saloon variant differs from the hatch versions more in the rear. The roofline isn't so swept back as to limit headroom, while the wide-opening doors allow easy access. Mercedes claims there's class-leading headroom in the back. It'll still be tight for three adults though. The boot, which offers 420-litres of space, is 50-litres bigger than that of the hatch, though has a narrower opening.

Market and Model

You'll pay around £600 more for this Saloon body style over the price of the standard hatch. That means a starting price of around £32,500 for the A 180 petrol model - think around £35,000 for the A 200d diesel, assuming in both cases that you go for base 'Sport Executive' trim. There are three further trim levels - 'AMG Line Executive', 'AMG Line Premium' and 'AMG Line Premium Plus'. The A 250 e Plug-in Hybrid models start from 'AMG Line Executive' trim and cost from around £41,500. Across the range, A-Class Saloon models feature twin 10.25-inch displays including an MBUX central touchscreen with 'Hey Mercedes' voice activation. There are also LED High Performance headlamps, a wireless phone charging mat, power-folding mirrors, rear privacy glass, automatic climate control, Active Lane Keeping Assist and Speed Limit Assist. 'AMG Line Executive' customers will benefit from 18-inch AMG alloy wheels, an AMG body styling kit, 'Artico' and Dinamica microfibre upholstery and a three-spoke sports steering wheel. This fourth generation A-Class is well connected. Navigation functions, for example, can 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.

Cost of Ownership

Let's get to the WLTP figures. As usual with mild hybrid tech, don't get your hopes up too high for the difference it'll make: full-Hybrid and powertrains in rivals cost more for a reason (namely that unlike MHEVs, they allow the engine to run fully electrically). Anyway, the A 180 and A 200 in manual form both manage up to 48.7mpg on the combined cycle and up to 132g/km of CO2. The economy champion of course, is still the A 200d diesel variant, which in base trim manual form exhales up to 128g/km of CO2, while only drinking a gallon of fuel on the combined cycle every 57.7 miles. With respectable performance figures, it's still a tempting package - albeit one that in its standard form, forgoes the big wheels and aggressive bodykits of more dynamic-looking versions. If you plan on adding the extra features, then economy will obviously take a hit. With the A 250 e Plug-in Hybrid, the 16.0kWh battery can be charged with AC or DC current via a socket located in the right-hand side wall of the vehicle. This A 250 e can be charged at a 11kW charging station with alternating current (AC) within 1 hour 15 min from 10-100%. Using an 11kW wallbox, it'd be one hour and 45 minutes. Keep everything charged up and Mercedes reckons that 90% of regular commuting journeys can be completed without using the petrol engine. One important comfort feature is the pre-entry climate control prior to starting a journey, which reduces energy usage and can also be activated conveniently by smartphone. The quoted WLTP combined cycle fuel figure is up to 403.6mpg and WLTP CO2 emissions are rated up to 17g/km. That means a 8% BiK tax rating; compare that to 30 or 31% for a conventional diesel or petrol-powered A-Class. Across the A-Class Saloon range, the warranty may be an industry standard 3 years but is for unlimited miles, handy to know if you spend a lot of time on the road. Just remember that a mid-range diesel is the sensible option for high resale figures. With that in mind, something like a mid-spec A 200d model might well represent the sweet spot of the range. On the other hand, a Mercedes-AMG 4MATIC petrol variant with every option thrown at it will lose a lot more of its value over the years.

Summary

You can see how this Saloon A-Class variant might ccontinue to carve out a useful niche for itself. You get smart looks, a decently-sized boot and a class-leadingly sophisticated cabin that no rival model can match. Running cost efficiency is top-notch and, despite the front-driven format, there's pretty much all the warm feel of quality that comes with any model bearing the famous Three-Pointed Star. In short, if you can't quite stretch to a C-Class, then this might still be a tempting option.

Body Glass

Privacy glass

4 Electric Front and Rear windows

Heated glass rear windscreen + timer control

Rain sensing windscreen wipers with two sensitivity settings

Brakes

Anti lock brake system with Brake Assist

Electronic Stability Program with Anti Skid Control

Electronic parking brake

ESP curve dynamic assist

Adaptive brake assist with hold function and hill start assist

Carpets/Rugs

AMG floor mats

Chassis/Suspension

Lowered comfort suspension

Communication

Wireless charging

Hey Mercedes Voice activation

Dual bluetooth interfaces

Driver Aids

Speed sensitive power steering

Direct steering

Attention assist

Direction indicators with lane change function

DYNAMIC SELECT with a choice of driving modes (ECO, Comfort, Sport and Individual)

Mercedes me remote services

Driver Convenience

Remote boot closing

Engine start/stop button

ECO start/stop function

Car wash mode

Fluorescent jacket for driver

Driver Information

Outside temperature gauge

Head up Display

Service indicator (Active Service System)

Brake pad wear indicator warning light

Smartphone integration with Apple CarPlay and Android auto

Hard-disk navigation

10.25" Digital instrument cluster display screen

Lamp failure indicator

Mercedes me connect including emergency call system, accident recovery, breakdown management and maintenance

Traffic sign assist

Fluid level warning indicator for fuel, oil, coolant and washer fluid

Trip computer in multifunction display with current consumption indicator

10.25 inch touchscreen central media display

Pre-installation of private car share

Owners manual in English

Fingerprint scanner

Driving Mirrors

Electric adjustable and heated door mirrors with integrated LED side indicators

Embellishment Trims

Light longitudinal grain aluminium trim

Entertainment

DAB Digital radio

Mercedes Benz advanced sound system (225 W) with 10 speakers, 1 central speaker, speakers on doors, a tweeter on door,one sub woofer + boost amplifier

MBUX multimedia system

Exterior Body Features

Body colour bumpers

Body colour side skirt

Panoramic sliding sunroof

Body colour door handles with chrome inserts

Chrome beltline strips

Radio aerial

Rear side wing doors

Rear boot

AMG body styling - AMG front apron with front splitter and AMG rear apron and visible exhaust tailpipe trim elements

Diamond radiator grille with pins in fine star pattern

Exhaust system with 2 visible tailpipe trim elements and rear apron

Exterior Lights

Adaptive brake lights

LED daytime running lights

Rear fog lights

LED tail lamp

Headlamp assist automatic headlamp activation

Third brake light featuring LED technology

Multibeam LED headlamps with adaptive highbeam assist and cornering function

Heating/Cooling/Ventilation

Air conditioning - Two zone thermotronic luxury automatic climate control with display

Black air vents with surround in silver chrome

Interior Features

Height/reach adjustable steering column

Front seat backs luggage nets

Rear armrest with 2 cupholders

Black roof lining

Twin front cupholders

Brushed stainless steel sports pedals with rubber studs

3 Spoke flat bottom leather multi function steering wheel with perforated leather in grip area

Front centre armrest with stowage

Galvanished gear shift paddles on steering wheel

Stowage compartment in centre console with retractable cover

Interior mirror with reading lamps in black and frameless

Illuminated Mercedes Benz lettering front door sills with changeable cover

Artico man-made leather/Microcut microfibre upholstery

Interior Lights

Interior lighting - 64 colour Ambient lighting

Packs

Seat comfort pack - A Class

Night pack - A Class

Mirror package - A Class

Keyless go comfort pack - A Class

Parking pack with 360 degree camera - A Class

USB pack plus - A Class

Winter pack - A Class

Light and sight package - A Class

Safety

Warning triangle and first aid kit

Dual stage driver/passenger airbags

Tyre pressure monitoring system

3 rear 3 point seatbelts

Drivers knee airbag

Grey seatbelts

Window airbags

Active bonnet

Front and rear seatbelt reminder

Crash responsive emergency lighting

Driver and passenger head and side airbags

Exit warning

Childproof locks manually operated for rear doors and electrically operated for rear power windows

Bonnet with power domes

Seats

Rear head restraints

40:20:40 split folding rear seats

3 seat bench in 2nd row

Seat occupancy sensor for front passenger seat

Automatic child seat recognition sensor

Sports seats with adjustable head restraints

ISOFIX and top tether child seat fixing points in two outer rear seats

Single front passenger seat

Electrically adjustable front memory seats including lumbar support and backrest inclination

Security

Alarm system/interior protection/immobiliser

Remote central locking and crash sensor with emergency opening function

Guard 360 degree vehicle protection

Vanity Mirrors

Sunvisors with illuminated vanity mirrors

Wheels

Summer tyres

Wheels - Alloy

19" AMG multi-spoke light alloy wheels,aerodynamically optimised, painted in black with high sheen rim flange

Wheels - Spare

Tirefit sealant kit

Emissions - ICE

Standard Euro Emissions: EURO 6

Noise Level dB(A): 69

CO: 0.031

HC: N

NOx: 0.018

HC+NOx: 0.024

Particles: 0.0008

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Comb: 138

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Comb - TEH: 138

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Comb - TEL: 138

Engine and Drive Train

Cylinders - Bore (mm): 82

Cylinders - Stroke (mm): 92.3

CC: 1950

Cylinders: 4

Cylinder Layout: IN-LINE

Number of Valves: 16

Camshaft: DOHC

Fuel Delivery: COMMON RAIL

Catalytic Convertor: No

Engine Layout: FRONT TRANSVERSE

Compression Ratio: 15.5:1

Transmission: SEMI-AUTO

Gears: 8 SPEED

Fuel Consumption - ICE

EC Directive 1999/100/EC Applies: 0

WLTP - MPG - Low: 40.4

WLTP - MPG - Medium: 50.4

WLTP - MPG - High: 62.8

WLTP - MPG - Extra High: 55.4

WLTP - MPG - Comb: 53.3

WLTP - MPG - Low - TEL: 40.4

WLTP - MPG - Low - TEH: 40.4

WLTP - MPG - Medium - TEL: 50.4

WLTP - MPG - Medium - TEH: 50.4

WLTP - MPG - High - TEL: 62.8

WLTP - MPG - High - TEH: 62.8

WLTP - MPG - Extra High - TEL: 55.4

WLTP - MPG - Extra High - TEH: 55.4

WLTP - MPG - Comb - TEL: 53.3

WLTP - MPG - Comb - TEH: 53.3

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Low: 7

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Medium: 5.6

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - High: 4.5

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Extra High: 5.1

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Comb: 5.3

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Low - TEL: 7

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Low - TEH: 7

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Medium - TEL: 5.6

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Medium - TEH: 5.6

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - High - TEL: 4.5

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - High - TEH: 4.5

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Extra High - TEL: 5.1

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Extra High - TEH: 5.1

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Comb - TEL: 5.3

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Comb - TEH: 5.3

General

Coin Series: AMG Line Prem Plus

Coin Description: d

Standard manufacturers warranty - Years: 3

Standard manufacturers warranty - Mileage: 999999

Manufacturers Paintwork Guarantee - Years: 3

Manufacturers Corrosion Perforation Guarantee - Years: 30

Did at least one aspect of this vehicle's safety give cause for concern?: 0

Special Edition: 0

Special Order: 0

Based On ID: N

Insurance Group 1 - 50 Effective January 07: 25E

Service Interval Mileage: 15500

Service Interval Frequency - Months: 12

NCAP Adult Occupant Protection %: 96

NCAP Child Occupant Protection %: 91

NCAP Pedestrian Protection %: 92

NCAP Safety Assist %: 75

NCAP Overall Rating - Effective February 09: 5

Badge Power: 150

Badge Engine CC: 2.0

Vehicle Homologation Class: M1

AdBlue: No

Generation Mark: 3

Alternative Fuel Qualifying: 0

Performance

0 to 62 mph (secs): 8.4

Top Speed: 141

Engine Power - BHP: 150

Engine Power - PS: No

0 to 60 mph (secs): 0

Engine Power - KW: 110

Engine Power - RPM: 3400

Engine Torque - LBS.FT: 236

Engine Torque - NM: 320

Engine Torque - RPM: 1400

Engine Torque - MKG: 32.6

Test Cycles

Emissions Test Cycle: WLTP

RDE Certification Level: RDE 2

Tyres

Tyre Size Front: 225/40 R19

Tyre Size Rear: 225/40 R19

Tyre Size Spare: TYRE REPAIR KIT

Wheel Type: 19" ALLOY

Wheel Style: AMG MULTI SPOKE

Alloys?: No

Space Saver?: 0

Vehicle Dimensions

Length: 4558

Width: 1796

Wheelbase: 2729

Width (including mirrors): 1992

Height: 1429

Height (including roof rails): N

Weight and Capacities

Minimum Kerbweight: 1540

Gross Vehicle Weight: 2030

Fuel Tank Capacity (Litres): 43

Max. Towing Weight - Braked: 1600

Max. Towing Weight - Unbraked: 750

Max. Loading Weight: 490

Luggage Capacity (Seats Up): 395

No. of Seats: 5

Max. Roof Load: 75

Turning Circle - Kerb to Kerb: 11

Exterior Body Features

Metallic paint

Manufaktur metallic paint

Manufaktur magno paint

Manufaktur solid paint

Packs

Driving assistance pack - A Class Premium Plus/AMG A45

Paint - Metallic

Metallic - Cosmos black

Metallic - Mountain grey

Metallic - High tech silver

Paint - Solid

Solid - Polar white

Paint - Special

Manufaktur metallic - Patagonia red

Manufaktur magno - Mountain grey

Manufaktur solid - Alpine grey

Trim - Cloth

Artico man-made leather/microcut microfibre - Black with contrast top stitching in grey