Mercedes-Benz A 200 Review

Does the new Mercedes-Benz A 200 appeal to you? Some, like me prefer its predecessor’s macho, sporty styling. This latest model looks more refine and will definitely appeal to the fairer sex.

I did not check the specifications of this Mercedes-Benz A200 before I took it for a test review. I was utterly surprised that the power-plant is a 1.3-litre engine (by Renault). Surprised because it could sprint and hold its power like any other 1800 cc sedan. Assisted by turbocharger, this inline 4-cylinder petrol engine is rated at 120 kW/163 hp and comes with the 7G-DCT dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The Mercedes-Benz A200 comes with the four DYNAMIC SELECT transmission modes “Eco”, “Comfort”, “Sport” and “Individual”. It is just as fast and nimble in Eco, comfort mode as in Sport mode. One very obvious difference is the power grunt coming out from its twin exhaust when you hit the pedal to the metal in power mode. Power comes in an instance and I could not feel any turbo lag at all. It was really a pleasure driving this compact sedan around town and also on weekends away to twisty mountain road or on secondary trunk roads.

There are 2 variants of the A-class in Malaysia, the A 200 and the A 250. The test unit we received was a A 200 and is priced at RM227,888. The all new A-Class is the first Mercedes-Benz model to feature a state-of-the-art Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX). A unique feature of this multimedia system is its ability to learn thanks to artificial intelligence. The system recognizes and understands almost every sentence occurring in the infotainment functions and vehicle operation. MBUX is also equipped with intelligent voice control with natural language comprehension which can be activated by the words, “Hey Mercedes”. This intelligent language assistant supports numerous infotainment functions such as destination input, phone call, music selection, as well as climate control and lighting. But we encountered some frustration trying to use the navigation via voice control as it did not recognize a lot of the location we were trying to reach. Perhaps it is catered to the German or European market and have yet to “acclimatize” to the Asian or Malaysian market.

The MBUX can be individualized and adapts to suit each user individually. The high-resolution Widescreen Cockpit with touchscreen control is part of the comprehensive MBUX touch-control concept – a triad consisting of the touchscreen, touchpad on the centre console and touch control buttons in the steering wheel.

We had some concern with the many fingerprints left on the widescreen from the constant changing of function that it needs constant wiping (for those clean-freaks or with OCD). Older folks (50’s and above) find it a challenge and overwhelmed by what seems like endless functions available in this A-Class. Just like mobile phones these days where it is so high tech and a majority of us do not even utilise 70% of its capability. So, we got some young (19 – 22-year olds) ladies to sit in the A-Class to see if they can figure out the multitude of functions and buttons available on the centre console, main touch screen as well as on the steering wheel. The results were, they got it. No manual nor instructions needed. Just like a kid given a Nintendo for the first time and you will be amazed how fast they learn and get the hang of it.

This W177 premium hatchback comes standard with the KEYLESS-GO function, 64 colours for the ambient lighting which you can dabble with until you get a colour or mix of colours that soothes your eyes and an Active Parking Assist which assist the driver when searching for a parking space and when entering or leaving a parallel or end-on parking spaces. It manoeuvres the vehicle into the selected parking space and back out again

The handling of this A-200 is just amazing. It sticks to the road during our drive on a twisty mountain road. Thanks partly to the Continental tyres fitted to it but mostly to the good suspensions set up and having a strong chassis.

Fuel consumption is excellent. We didn’t take a reading but being heavy footed most of the time, it took quite a while before we need to refuel and not that this A-Class comes with a huge fuel tank.

I can safely say this is one of the best value models of Mercedes-Benz. Prestige, nimble, luxury, value for money, and giving the owners great driving and user experience.

• Discover the Plan A financing by Mercedes-Benz Financial – the all-in-one financing plan that offers financing, insurance and service packages. Enjoy lower monthly instalments, guaranteed future value of your car, flexible end of agreement options, and a wide range of insurance products plus meticulous service packages.

• For more details call 1-800-88-1133.

• Mercedes-Benz Financial – A Daimler Financial Services Brand. The financial services provided by Mercedes-Benz Services Malaysia Sdn Bhd are regulated by the provisions of the Financial Services Act 2013. Mercedes-Benz Services Malaysia’s operations are not within the regulatory purview of Bank Negara Malaysia.

Equipment included in the vehicle price:

Mercedes-Benz A 200

Mercedes-Benz A 250 AMG Line

Text, Photos, Video by Justin Hong