By Khulekani Dumisa

The hot hatch industry is booming and everyone wants a slice of it. There’s largely been one dominant player though and that’s the Golf GTI. It’s been able to own the space as it has managed to straddle along performance and everyday practicality for a while now. Other players have to beat this and be better to convince buyers to switch. Now in its second generation, the Mercedes-Benz A250 aims to not only knock the GTI off its perch but also offer the buyer something more luxurious and refined. I know you are thinking the A250 compares better to the more luxurious S3. True but the GTI still owns the space. The A250 might have a compelling case for buyers to consider in the segment.

Exterior

The second generation A-Class sought to improve on the first generation A-Class in all departments. Whereas the old A-Class was rounder, the new A-Class is more angular and has a more aggressive look. The new car is also lower, longer and wider. The latter two are noticeable with better occupant and luggage space which grow a bit. The back passengers now enjoy decent legroom. We took the car on a road trip to the Vaal recently and my back passengers never once complained about space.

Interior

The improvements aren’t only in space though. The interior quality seems to have also been improved. This is in terms of design and feel of the car. Open the door and you are welcomed by a clean and minimalistic dashboard. The two screens for the driver and the infotainment make a statement but aren’t an overkill. They offer clear graphics and a nice modern feel to the car. Gone are the old school (calculator like) dials as everything becomes digital. You can still control the infotainment with a track pad next to the driver although that takes a bit of time getting used to.

On the technological front, the Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX or ‘Hey Mercedes’) takes things to the next level. The voice command system which allows you to operate certain car features incorporates artificial intelligence to learn how you communicate and then manages to take instructions in the manner that you would communicate to another human. This irons out accent issues and dishing out voice commands like you are talking to a robot.

The right look

The whole point of a hot hatch is to have it looking the part and this is where the A250 can get a bit expensive. You will have to tick the extras box if you want the AMG-Line kit, panoramic roof and sports seats, just to name a few. You also need to pay extra to get modern safety features like blind sport monitor, lane keep, and adaptive cruise control. If you tick all of these you may be looking at a pretty high asking price and that may prove a bit prohibitive knowing what else is on offer in the segment.

Engine and drive

The A250 employs a four-cylinder turbocharged 2,0 petrol engine that makes 165 kW of power and 350 Nm of torque. You will do 0-100 km/h in just 6,2 seconds. This is a decent figure but it will not feel as brisk as one would like as the car appears to grapple with some turbo lag issues at take-off. The engine also does not make the infamous vrrpha sounds that have become associated with the segment leader. That aside, the engine note is decent and provides the driver with an engaging emotional connection to the engine. The drive is comfortable with the smooth 7G-DCT transmission that never seems uncertain but works like clockwork to deliver a confident drive whatever driving mode you are in. The A250 also impresses with its handling manners be it in normal or in spirited driving situations. You are assured to look forward to every corner, twist and bend when piloting the A250. Mercedes-Benz seems to have invested a lot in the driving dynamics of the car and this shows.

The A250 is priced from R621,704.