Mercedes-Benz is celebrated all over the world as a luxury brand. Traditionally, its entry-level luxury cars have been disappointing as the German car manufacturer has always struggled to make its cars target the average automobile consumer. This, however, might change with its new A-Class sedan.
Aimed at the bargain-pursuing automobile consumer, the A-Class sedan does what Mercedes have always struggled with: bringing some of the technologies and features found in its luxury cars to its entry-level luxury cars.
The A-Class borrows its styling quite heavily from the CLS. It certainly looks rather stylish from certain angles. Although, from other angles, it looks a bit too uninteresting and bland compared to its more expensive cousins.
But exterior design isn’t the be-all, end-all. Its interior design imitates that of a far more expensive car. Coming with a dual-screen display, its futuristic-looking air vents and its multifunction steering wheel, one would be forgiven to mistake the A-Class for a more expensive car. And the materials are quite good for a car that costs around $30,000. Everything feels more premium compared to its price.
Packed with LED headlights, a glass roof that provides a great view of the skies above and dual 7-in displays, it supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; all features that maketh a great car.
But what makes the A-Class really takeoff is Mercedes’ new cloud-based, AI software—the MBUX system. It enables voice commands that are actually user-friendly. It comes with a touchpad that replaces the old hardware, making it the first time a Mercedes-Benz fields a touchscreen display. This leads to an infotainment system that’s user-friendly and puts the user in control.
The satnav system also has some very futuristic traits to it. For one, it implements augmented reality to overlay directional arrows that help guide you to your destination. It’s definitely a very neat feature.
With its more than reasonable starting price, it’s only reasonable to think that the A-Class will be immensely popular with the consumer segment that it actively targets. It should, we believe, live up to the Mercedes brand of superb engineering.
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