Mercedes A-Class review - Interior & comfort

Mercedes went back to the drawing board for its latest A-Class, not least on the inside. You won’t find a better interior in the class – and even some models in the class above. Quality is excellent, the design is futuristic yet understated and the levels of comfort on offer are exactly as you’d expect from any Mercedes, never mind one intended to serve as a family hatchback. Exemplary, up-to-date infotainment makes the A-Class feel far more modern than the competition.

Our AMG Line Executive test car came with elegant chrome and silver trim which added a touch of glitz to the cabin, while red stitching brought a subtly sporty touch, too. One minor gripe we had, however, was that there was a little too much shiny black plastic which can easily show fingerprints.

Mercedes A-Class dashboard

The star of the show in the A-Class’ interior is its dashboard. While before, the cheapest models were fitted with a pair of seven-inch infotainment screens, these are 10.25 inches apiece as standard for the facelifted model, offering an immersive and thoroughly modern take on infotainment. The comprehensive functionality of these screens means a simplified layout for the rest of the dashboard, which is relatively free of buttons and trimmed in great-quality materials. While the facelifted interior features an uptick in recycled materials, there’s no noticeable dip in feel. It’s a shame there are some harder plastics low down in the cabin, though, and a lack of lining in the door bins means your sunglasses and keys can rattle around.

The digital gauge cluster looks fantastic, but some of the touch-sensitive steering wheel controls can be a little bit fiddly to use. 

The central 10.25-inch infotainment screen is crisp and responsive to your inputs, and loading times are ok. Sometimes the navigation system tries to load too much at once, which can make it a little laggy. The digital gauge cluster is good – the display is split into three, which allows you to see trip, navigation and driving functions in a variety of configurations.

15

Equipment

The facelifted A-Class range is a little complicated: there may only be three core trim levels (Sport Edition, Sport Executive and AMG Line Executive) but buyers can also opt for expanded versions of the AMG Line, upgrading to AMG Line Premium or Premium Plus.

The Sport Edition trim is now the entry point into A-Class ownership, limited to just the A 180 petrol. It boasts a comprehensive list of standard equipment, with two 10.25-inch infotainment screens, along with ‘MBUX voice activation’ – a voice-command system for controlling basic functions – DAB radio and sat nav with three years of free live traffic information updates included. Cruise control with a speed limiter, a multifunction leather steering wheel and fabric/man-made leather seats are also included along with climate control. It also features exterior details like 18-inch alloys, adaptive LED headlights and daytime running lights, while automatic headlights and wipers are fitted to all models. Sport Executive swaps the wheels for smaller 17-inch items, but then adds chrome window trim, keyless go, 64-colour ambient lighting and a wireless smartphone charger.

The AMG Line Executive is available with all engines. Over the entry trims, it features 18-inch AMG alloy wheels and sportier body styling, including unique trim for the front bumper, rear bumper and side skirts, along with visible exhaust pipes. The grille also gets a bespoke design. Inside, microfibre/man-made leather upholstery with red stitching features, alongside a Nappa leather multifunction steering wheel and optional aluminium trim.

Elsewhere, it also gets all of the equipment of the Sport Executive trim, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. AMG Line Premium cars add to the equipment list further still, with the addition of illuminated door sills, augmented reality for its navigation and a 10-speaker stereo.

AMG Line Premium Plus have 19-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic glass sunroof, a head-up display and a 360-degree parking camera, along with electrically adjustable front seats with memory function. The Exclusive Launch Edition gets a unique multi-spoke design of alloy wheels and Mercedes’ Night Package, which sees most chrome trim painted black.

Options

While options used to be a big part of the Mercedes buying experience, this is no longer the case. Instead, you’ll need to make sure the trim level you choose has all the features you want from the off. Of course, you can still pick the colour you want for around £600 for standard metallic shades – Night Black and Polar White are the only no-cost choices.