Mercedes A-class cabin quality and features
The cabin of the A-class resembles that of the recently introduced B-class in more than one way. The aircraft turbine inspired A/C vents which not just look smashing, but are extremely easy to use with smooth operation are shared between the A- and B-class. The centre console, the steering wheel, the dashboard layout – the place looks familiar. The interior theme is black, with hints of chrome and steel to accentuate the sporty character of the car.
However, the A-class gets its own, racier, white speedo-tacho dials. The dashboard is draped in leather, which looks even richer than the bigger B-class. The central screen too is shared between the two models and is controlled via a basic version of the Comand system. We were surprised to see that the shiny steel pedals with rubber studs of the B-class have been replaced by vanilla rubber pads on the A-class. They would have looked good on this smaller, sportier cousin of its big brother in our opinion.
A unique characteristic of the A-class’s cabin are its seats. The unique seats with an integrated head rest and a perforation between the space to rest the torso and head look sleek and classy. The steel lining around the central cavity adds loads of character to the cabin.
There are quite a few storage spaces too within the cabin. The front doors, apart from featuring map pockets, also have the space for storing a one liter bottle each. The floating central panel has two longitudinally arranged cup-holders, with two more covered spaces for odds and ends ahead of them. One of these spaces has a 12v socket as well. At the end towards the backseats, the panel has a large storage box, with its lid doubling up as the central armrest for the front occupants.
The sunroof is larger than usual and replaces a major part of the top metal. The fabric covering the glass from the inside is rather thin, and can be quite irritating on a hot, sunny day when the big ball of fire is right over your head. The glass roof, being too big, doesn’t slide all the way back either, and opens only partly.
Front driver’s seat gets electrical adjustments for fore-aft movement, height, seat back recline, head-rest and lumbar support. However, no such facility is available for the front passenger, who has to adjust everything mechanically. Other controls below the driver seat adjustments on the door panel includes power window buttons, door lock / unlock, electrical ORVM controls and window lock.
Legroom is sufficient at the rear for medium built men, taller guys may have a bit of a problem if a six footer is driving. Head room too, though sufficient for medium built men is not generous. The black interior theme, along with small windows makes the cabin a dark place to be, which doesn’t feel particularly airy. The high window sill both at the front and back compounds the problem.
Front seats are comfortable with good bolstering and ample adjustment options. At the rear, there is more than adequate space for two – three would be a squeeze. The backseats, though comfortable and well cushioned with a good recline angle could have done with a bit more thigh support.
Boot space at the rear is pegged at 341 liters, which can be extended substantially if you drop down the 60:40 rear seats. The rear doors don’t have the big pockets of the front units and cannot store bottles bigger than 500ml. Back benchers get their A/C vent with blow and temperature control, below which they get access to their own 12v power socket as well.
We loved the sound of the stock audio unit which offered a deep bass and clear sound all the way to the max volume. The car come equipped with Parktronic parking assist, which to be honest looks like a technology from the bygone era. There are two Parktronic units on the A-class, one ahead of the dash and another one fixed onto the roof behind the driver’s seat, and to be monitored via the RVM. Thankfully the A-class also comes equipped with a reverse camera.
Mercedes has not compromised with safety tech on the A-class and the car comes loaded with active and passive safety gear. You get as many as seven airbags, ABS, ESP, all four wheels with disc brakes and most of the Mercedes Safety wizardry including Pre-safe and Adaptive Braking.
The interior of the car is built of high quality materials, and doesn’t ever feel plasticky or cheap. Mercedes have kept matters easy with a simplistic design for the dash. Class abounds within the enclosure though, with everything put together well and made with durable, elegant materials. For the new segment the A-class represents the interior quality is laudable to say the least.