TO be brutally honest, the original A-Class was a bit of a dud.
Launched at a time when the concept of a small premium car was still an unknown, the original A-Class was a brave departure for Mercedes.
Its one box design meant it looked a bit like a posh people carrier, but its size meant no amount of clever packaging could ever accommodate more than four passengers.
Initial sales were brisk then came the infamous Elk test.
Performed by authorities in Sweden, the ‘elk test’ is designed to test a car’s ability to perform an emergency manoeuvre to swerve out of the way of a dozy moose. Sadly, the A-Class didn’t so much swerve as barrel roll to a crumpled halt.
An embarassed Mercedes rushed safety modifications into production and the revised A-Class aced the test - but the smallest Merc never really recovered from photos of it perched on two-wheels like some kind of crazy stunt car.
Throw in the fact that it was built during a period when Mercedes’ reputation for peerless build quality took a beating and it’s probably no surprise that no one really looks back on the original A-Class with fondness.
But fast forward 20 years and things are very different.
The fourth generation A-Class no longer looks like a people carrier. It’s an attractive, well-proportioned (albeit conventional) hatchback designed with rapier-like precision to take the fight to German rivals Audi and BMW.

In fact, in a recent survey it was named as the car which appealed to motorists of all ages appearing in the top 10 choices of drivers in every age bracket from 18 to 64.
On reason for that must be the wide selection of engines which range from super frugal to supercar-worrying.
My pick of the bunch is the A200d with its smooth-running and economical diesel engine.
A diesel? In 2021?
Yes, that’s right. Diesel may have copped some bad press in the past few years but the very latest are as green as a petrol engine car and a lot cheaper to run. Mercedes claims it is possible to achieve up to 70mpg in this car.
And it’s not just about the mpg numbers.
The A200 has an impressive 150bhp on tap; that’s enough to hit 60mph in a shade over eight seconds and it doesn’t stop pulling until you recah almost 140mph (where legal).
The engine’s prodigious mid-range torque (320Nm at 1,500rpm) makes overtaking ridiculously easy.
It’s also very smooth for a diesel and a fine crusing companion.
Inside the good news continues: the A-Class has one of the best cabins of any premium small hatch.
It’s packed with the latest tech (including a massive LCD screen which runs across more than half the dashboard), built from quality materials and very well screwed together, as you’d expect of a Mercedes.
In fact, it’s not that different from the experience you get in the more expensive C-Class.
There are four main trim levels: SE, Sport, AMG Line and Exclusive Edition and a number of option ‘Executive’ or ‘Premium’ packs which add goodies like upgraded audio, keyless entry and even ‘augmented reality’ for the navigation system.
Mercedes sent us the AMG Line premium Plus which came fully loaded with the 10.25-inch colour LCD display, Multibeam LED headlights with Adaptive Highbeam Assist; panoramic glasssunroof; electrically-adjustable front seats; and Traffic Sign Assist (which automatically adjusts the cruise control according to the speed limit).
The posh digital instrument screens can be set up to display the your preferred combination of information.
And like larger (and more expensive) Mercedes Benz models, the A-Class uses artificial intelligence to learn your habits and respond accordingly.
For instance, if you call home on your way from work at the same time the A-Class makes a mental note and prompts you to make the call if you forget. It can tune to your favourite radio station (say Radio Five in the morning and a bit of soothing Classic FM on an evening).
You can even spark it up like an Amazon Echo smart speaker or Siri on an iPhone by saying the wake phrase “Hey Mercedes”.
And you don’t have to be precise in order to make it do something. Say ‘Hey Mercedes I’m cold’ and it will turn up the heater, for instance.
It’s a generation ahead of the systems you’ll find in other small cars and seriously impressive.
So such you buy a 200d? Emphatically yes. The car you buy now could be your last internal combustion engined vehicle before batteries take over - you owe it to yourself to make it a good one.

Star ratings
PERFORMANCE: Performance is nippy rather than quick unless you opt for an AMG upgrade.***
CABIN: Fabulous. Every bit as well made as larger Mercs. ****
PRACTICALITY: As pracitcal as a VW Golf - par for the course in its class. **1/2
VALUE: You pay a premium for the badge but this is a small Mercedes to love. ***1/2

 

Price: from £24,095
Engine: 1.3-litre/4-cyl
Max power: 136 BHP
Max torque: 200 NM
Top speed: 134 MPH
0-62MPH: 9.2 seconds
Combined 53.3 MPG:
SUMMING UP: Packed with technology, this is a proper small Mercedes Benz.