Mercedes pushes the limit of the A-Class interior

The car’s interior is becoming more and more a key decision point most buyers look at. Why not, its the space you spend all your time in, whether it is in your daily commute to work or when you go on a holiday around the country. When it comes to luxury cars, no one else comes close to Mercedes-Benz. The moment I saw the designs of the latest Mercedes-Benz A-Class interior, even after my recent review of the BMW 740Le, BMW has so much to do catching up.

Mercedes will be releasing the latest version of their best seller, the A-Class that has decisively contributed to a more youthful brand image for Mercedes-Benz: the average age of European drivers of this most progressive compact class model is now 13 years lower than for the preceding series. And now the revolution is set to continue: the coming A‑Class completely redefines Modern Luxury in the interior. At the same time it has considerably more utility value, making it as youthful as ever but as grown-up as never before.

“The new A-Class embodies the next stage in our design philosophy of sensual purity, and has the potential to usher in a new design era,” says Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer Daimler AG. “The interior presents modern luxury at a level previously unattainable in this class, and transports the user interface into the digital age.”

The interior architecture and the control & display systems of the new A-Class are a unique selling point in this segment. No other automaker in the same market has come close to Mercedes. The dashboard is divided into two three-dimensional, horizontal sections: the lower section is visually separated from the main body of the dashboard by a “trench”, and it appears to float in front of the dashboard. The optional ambience lighting enhances this effect, accentuating the free-floating impression of the substructure.

The standard widescreen cockpit is completely free-standing, and for the first time there are absolutely no cowls above the instruments. The sporty air vents in a turbine-look are another highlight.

The A-Class also takes its lead from the luxury Mercedes-Benz models where many other details are concerned. The multifunctional steering wheel comes from the S-Class, for example. The front seats likewise have comfort features available from higher segments, including seat climate control, massage function and multicontour seat. The trim elements are in a “wrap-around” design, and the choice of materials (e.g. open-pore wood) underscores the progressive, high-quality positioning.

The interior has a greatly enhanced feeling of spaciousness, better all-round visibility and more space. Utility value is increased by more shoulder-room (front +9 mm, rear +22 mm), elbow-room (front +35 mm, rear +36 mm) and headroom (front +7 mm, rear +8 mm). Easier access to the rear seats is another plus point of the new A-Class. The luggage compartment behind the rear seats is more suitable for family and recreational use, and has a capacity of 370 litres – 29 litres more than the preceding model. Thanks to two-section rear lights, the loading aperture is 20 cm wider than before, and the luggage compartment floor is 11.5 cm longer. If required the rear seat backrest can be positioned more upright, e.g. to accommodate bulky boxes. All-round visibility has also been considerably improved: by around ten percent.