WHAT if we told you that you could have a brand new Mercedes Benz A Class for under $40,000 – you’d want one right?
Well, the A180 BE retails for around $35,600 plus on roads, our test vehicle a little more than that, but not as much as you think.
We hit the tarmac with an A200 fitted with the Vision, COMAND and AMG Line Packages – creating a surprisingly classy, wicked hatch you could drive out of the showroom for $47,870 (plus on roads).
With stunning looks inside and out, the A200 is feature packed, with black 18-inch alloy wheels, AMG body kit, lowered sports suspension, direct steer system, leather seats, metal sports pedals, and Formula 1 style paddle shifting on the 7 speed automatic gearbox.
Powered by a 1.6L 4 cylinder turbo charged petrol engine, generating 115kW of power – the front wheel drive A200 also features ECO start/stop, which turns the car off when stationary to save fuel.
Safety is a priority too, with collision prevention, nine air bags, attention and brake assist.
The standout safety features though are the reversing camera which can look round corners (when backing out of a parking space for example), and the auto reverse parking system.
The performance and handling in the A200 is awesome, with this nimble five door hatch ready to respond to whatever we asked of it.
Tidy on fuel economy too, with 6.1L per 100km during the test, the car is genuinely nice to drive.
If we had to pick on anything, it was the minor vibrations inside the cabin.
The voice recognition component of the navigation system was frustrating, as it wanted to search the United Kingdom for suburbs, leaving us utilising the joystick controls on the console.
The complete model range features the A180, the A200 – available in petrol and diesel variants, the A250 Sports, and the AMG A45 – an all wheel drive 2L turbo charged 265kW weapon, packed with exclusive AMG bits – making it one of the hotest hatches ever to hit the Australian market.
Our test vehicle was provided by Hunter Star Motors. To find out more about the 2013 Mercedes Benz A200, contact Hunter Star Motors on 02 4974 4244.
Vehicle: 2013 Mercedes Benz A200
Overall Rating: 4/5
Pros: Price – sub $50K for Mercedes is great value; Safety features are exception; Point and click performance.
Cons: Voice recognition system is frustrating; vibrations in the plastic bits of the interior; tinny exhaust system.
