Hmmm. . . and what’s your take on the interiors?
Well, we really can’t think of any other premium hatchback, whose interiors left us as awed as those of the new A Class! Neat dashboard layout, radically styled jet-propeller inspired air con vents, very supportive ‘sports’ front seats, silver accents at various places, liberal usage of high-quality soft touch plastics, and a clean layout for the instrumentation; it is tough to find a flaw with the interior styling of this car.
The A Class is certainly one of those cars that feel as sporty on the inside as on the outside. No surprise then that the interior panels, especially the dashboard, of the A Class take quite a few design cues from those of the mighty SLS AMG! The only little flaw we can point out here is the unconventionally mounted infotainment screen, which looks a tad afterthought. But then, ‘unconventional’ might be a really appealing to many. No?
Now that we are talking about the interiors, do they score as highly on the ergonomics front as on the design?
The A Class scores really highly for its exterior and interior design but it can certainly do better in the ergonomics department. While the front seats of the A Class are ultra supportive and offer a gazillion permutations and combinations for seat-adjustment, there are a lot of areas where the A Class falls short of the high expectations set by the praiseworthy design and the class-leading standards of Mercedes.
Firstly, ingress and egress isn’t exactly a breeze, especially if you are anywhere around 6 ft. tall or more. Not exactly a deal breaker but perhaps, this is the price you pay for having a stylish roofline.
Also, the dashboard seems to have been set a tad too high and it takes you your own sweet time to adjust your seat height for a comfortable driving position. Drivers like me, who prefer their steering wheel to be set low, would hate the fact that the steering-rim obstructs your view of the instrument console.
Finally, the rear seat isn’t half as supportive as the front and while its scores well in terms of bench-width and seat height, most of you would be found wishing for better lumbar support. And no flip down armrest in a car that costs almost INR 25 lakhs!? A big omission to say the least
PS- The front occupants do enjoy the ‘luxury’ of having an armrest!
A Class dislikes Coke bottles!
Flip to next page to read about ride, handling and braking