Summarize

Mercedes-Benz has consolidated the bottom end of its car range and the timing could not have been better. With economic pressure bearing down on new car buyers and buying down as critical a choice as ever, the all-new A-Class sedan will being relief to Mercedes buyers looking for traditional brand values as much as it offers young owners the chance of driving a real Mercedes right now.

“If you asked me twenty years ago if this was the right car for us to launch, I would tell you that you were crazy,” company veteran and Mercedes-Benz South Africa CEO Johannes Fritz explained. “But right here, right now, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class sedan is the perfect car for us to be launching. “Every South African is under economic pressure and this car allows traditional Mercedes owners to still buy a great Benz at the right price, while also attracting a younger buyer type into the range in line with our current trends.”

“South Africa has now had 70 straight months of financial shrinkage in a row,” Mercedes-Benz SA marketing guru Selvin Govender added. “So we are addressing that by launching this car now — A-Class sedan is our new traditional entry-level Mercedes and we are exited to be able to launch it at a time where that model matters most."

A-Class sedan joins the range alongside the all-new second generation Mercedes-Benz CLA that it shares its launch with this week and it slots in below the C-Class as the most affordable new traditional four-door Mercedes sedan. The A sedan is available in the choice of the 120kW 250Nm 1.3-litre turbo petrol A200 good for an 8.1-second 0-100km/h dash, 230km/h and 5.3l/100km fuel economy, and the 6.5-second 0-100km/h 6.3l/100km 165kW 350Nm 2-litre turbo A250. 

Both models have an 8-speed autobox and are front wheel drive, but expect the 144kW 400Nm 2-litre turbodiesel and the powerful AWD AMG A35 sedan to follow soon.

Set apart by a dynamic, yet elegant 3-box 4-door design with a smoothly dropping roof, A200 packs a reasonable level of standard spec, including the basic Mercedes infotainment and safety, from Active Braking to Active Lane Keeping Assistants in base-level Progressive spec, all of which can be enhanced via Lane Tracking and Driving Assistance Packages.

AMG Line adds sportier body styling, lowered suspension and 16-inch light-alloys and you can add myriad extras from Leather and AMG Leather packages to Keyless-Go, a cool 64-colour LED ambient lighting Night package and Design options, panoramic sliding sunroof and a leather multifunction sports steering wheel as well as that so-cool full-width Mercedes dash complete with latest MBUX flagship infotainment, Head-up Display and Hey Mercedes voice control.

The A250 sedan AMG Line however packs in a considerable level of the above-mentioned specification as standard, while the Engineering Package adds adjustable dampers, keyless go and more multi-LED headlights.

The best thing about the A-Class sedan is that it is a Mercedes-Benz through and through. Look at it and everything about it screams Mercedes. Hop in and you know you are in a Merc, even at the most basic spec. Step up a few levels and your A sedan becomes space-age latest Mercedes spec that makes you believe you are travelling in an E or an S class. Yes, it is that good.

A-Class sedan is also 100% Mercedes-Benz on the road, so no matter which model you may be used to, you will not feel compromised. All of which means that in these tough times, this really is the perfect Benz for Mercedes to be launching. Good move, Merc… - Michele Lupini

A200 Progressive          R 533K

A200 sedan AMG Line R 558K

A250 sedan AMG Line R 608K