Mercedes-Benz A-Class Apart

Mercedes-Benz is the first to release the next wave of premium hatches, but is it enough to get ahead of the game? We head to Croatia to find out.

- Ryan Hirons

Premium hatchbacks have fast become one of the most popular segments on the market today, with three clear leaders - the Audi A3, BMW 1 Series, and Mercedes A-Class. Despite this, they’ve all remained relatively unchanged for a few years now, but Mercedes has been the first to pull the trigger on the new generation of luxury hatches. Not only does the three-pointed star have its sights set on getting an early lead in its class — with a new 1 Series on the horizon, and Audi likely to refresh its hatch in the next couple of years — but also on setting a new tech benchmark.

Although this is still instantly recognisable as an A-Class — despite a new design to bring it in line with Mercedes’ latest offerings — there’s plenty of new tech and engineering behind the hatchback. The biggest selling point is a new infotainment system, dubbed MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience). It’s designed to offer a more immersive experience — bringing a new ‘Mercedes Me’ voice assistant, tons of customisability and some augmented reality features for satellite navigation. Elsewhere, there’s semi-autonomous technology and a range of new engines — two petrol and one diesel.