Mercedes-Benz A-Class A 200 BlueEFFICIENCY AMG Sport Automatic 5dr Car Review - May 2013

The Mercedes-Benz A-Class A 200 BlueEFFICIENCY AMG Sport combined a turbocharged 154bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine petrol engine with a 7-speed automatic gearbox. That engine produces 184 lb-ft of torque at 1250-4000rpm, and is reassuringly refined and smooth but does leave you feeling slightly disappointed, as it doesn’t quite pack the punch you would expect of an AMG Mercedes. 0-62mph takes 8.3 seconds, and top speed is 139 mph. The steering, braking, and suspension have all been upgraded by the AMG engineers, and as a result these are all exceptionally sharp. The resulting ride is very much on the firm side, but it does cure the nervousness of the handling that is present in less A-Class models. As you would expect from a Mercedes-Benz, the cabin is well-appointed and solidly-built, and with plentiful steering wheel and drivers seat adjustment options it should be able to accommodate drivers of all shapes and sizes comfortably.

The 5-door hatchback body style of the latest Mercedes-Benz A-Class is substantially larger than the previous supermini look of the previous two generations of the model. The fun and funky feel of the previous cars has gone too, with the new model sharing the same aggressive and prominent features of the rest of the Mercedes-Benz range. The includes a much wider front grille which presents the three-pointed star badge more clearly, and more sharply sculpted flanks. This AMG model does get its own external badging and other features, notably its own unique alloy wheels and square chrome-plated sports exhaust. Other standard features include power steering, central locking, stability control, alloy wheels, air conditioning, electric door mirrors, electric front and rear windows, cruise control, alarm and immobiliser, cd player with mp3 connectivity, and bluetooth.

The Mercedes A-Class boasts a full five-stars from Euro NCAP, the independent European consumer organisation that performs crash and safety tests on all new car release on the continent. The car does have a full compliment of driver, passenger, and front side airbags as standard, as well as other driver safety aids such as stability control. Leg and head room are competitive both in the front and rear of the car, although rear seat ingress is hindered slightly by the size and shape of the door opening compared to rival five-door hatchbacks. Boot space is an adequate 341-litres, the flexibility of which is aided by the standard inclusion of split-folding rear seats. There should be no concerns regarding build quality, but the standard 3-year warranty is for a reassuring unlimited mileage.

The Mercedes-Benz A-Class A 200 BlueEFFICIENCY AMG Sport Automatic has a price tag of £25,490, and running costs include a combined fuel economy of 50.4 mpg, a Road Tax Band E categorisation due to its 133g/km of CO2 emissions, and an insurance grouping of 24. However, AMG buyers are more likely to be impressed by performance figures rather than economy ones, and in that respect the Mercedes-Benz A-Class A 200 BlueEFFICIENCY AMG Sport Automatic is perhaps not the best model in the range. For just £1,400 more you can have the 2.0-litre version, and while this does come with slightly increased running costs, it also comes with an extra 54bhp, and extra 74 lb-ft of torque, is over a second-and-a-half quicker at reaching 62mph, and has a top speed of 149mph. For those reasons, the performance-minded AMG driver would be more likely to go for the 2.0-litre version. That said, both models disappoint slightly on value for money when it comes to specification levels, missing out on items such as rear parking sensors and satellite navigation, things you might expect to be included as standard on a car of this price and quality.