The new A-Class should make you think twice about a Golf. But why stop there, when easy finance options mean you could take a chance on Volvo's ...
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STICK OR
Giant Test A-Class vs rivals
TWIST?
The new A-Class should make you think twice
about a Golf. But why stop there, when easy
finance options mean you could take a chance
on Volvo’s compact crossover instead? Volkswagen
Golf
Words Jake Groves | Photography Alex Tapley
Volvo XC40
Mercedes
A-Class
94 CARMAGA ZINE.CO.UK | August 2018 August 2018 | CARMAGA ZINE.CO.UK 95
B
Giant Test A-Class vs rivals
RITS LOVE AN A-Class. Last year
43,000 of them found homes in the
UK, continuing a pattern going back
several years. Naturally some of
those earlier buyers will be looking
to replace their A-Class soon, and the
new, significantly more upmarket
A-Class would be an obvious place
to start. You’d of course look at a
VW Golf too, it being the eternal
benchmark for classy hatches. And
what else would you look at? How
about a Volvo XC40?
That might jar if your instincts are
to compare hatch with hatch, saloon
with saloon and crossover with crossover. But all the sales stats
show that more and more buyers are leaping into the welcoming
embrace of the crossover, and that many of them are leaving
hatch land in order to do so.
And how are they buying their crossover? The majority of
new car deals are on finance, and the majority of finance deals
are PCPs – typically a three-year lease. It’s a way of running a car
that encourages lateral thinking and modest risk taking, with
most costs known up front.
So the new A-Class arrives at a time when being a nicely
turned out hatchback from an admired brand is no guarantee of
sales success. Mercedes has risen to the challenge by making the
new car smarter looking, better to drive, more efficient and as
swanky inside as many bigger Mercs.
The engine line-up has one diesel (A180d) and two petrols
(A200 and A250) and all come with a seven-speed dual-clutch
transmission, until a six-speed manual arrives by the end of
2018 for the A200. Three trims are available, SE, Sport and AMG
Line, but the only way to get a basic SE is to pick the A180d;
petrols are Sport or AMG Line. Our test A-Class in Cosmos
Being a nicely turned out Black is an A200 AMG Line, so it’s the sportiest trim paired with
hatchback from an admired brand
the smallest petrol engine. It’s an all-new, all-aluminium, 1332cc
turbocharged four-cylinder (codenamed M282, engine geeks)
no longer guarantees big sales and replaces the 1.6-litre four used in the previous A200.
The overall shape is not far removed from the outgoing
A-Class, but the body panels have been de-creased in line with
Merc’s current design philosophy, gauchely named Sensual
Purity. Apparently Merc’s designers came to realise what
everyone else already knew, that their cars were getting a bit
over-styled, so the new A has followed the CLS in getting ironed
XC40 has the ride
quality you want and the
out. Good for aero, they say, and it’s a look that may age well,
roll you don’t; Merc has but to our eyes the new A-Class has lost a bit of its predecessor’s
the balance just right visual drama. Even the AMG Line trim can’t really help
it – particularly at the rear, where it just looks anonymous, not
helped by subdued paint.
Our Golf is in the sportiest spec you can get this side of a GTI.
The range starts with S, and passes through SE, SE Nav and GT
before reaching this car’s R-Line trim (and then you’ve got the
performance and electrified variants). R-Line spec does a better
job of making the Golf look athletic than AMG Line manages
with the A-Class. It doesn’t have the seriously sporty Golf R’s
quad pipes, but it achieves some of the same muscular simplicity
with its black-trimmed bumpers, more aggressive side and rear
valances and subtle badging. It’s a handsome thing (although
the Turmeric Yellow of our test car seems at odds with the low-
key, mature vibe that characterises R-Line).
The extensive Golf range spans petrols, diesels, a hybrid and
full battery power, with a six-speed manual and front-wheel4
96 CARMAGA ZINE.CO.UK | August 2018 August 2018 | CARMAGA ZINE.CO.UK 97
Giant Test A-Class vs rivals
Indicator stalks skinnier than
a 2CV’s tyres and feel
about as robust as a Twiglet.
Clicking from the indicators is
jarringly loud, too.
VW’s Discover Navigation
standard with R-Line. A relief to
find there are still two manual
Turbine air vents across the knobs for quick access, unlike
Merc’s dash feel much better optional Pro infotainment.
put together than those in the
last A-Class – helps that they
also look super-cool.
Merc is moving away from its
clickwheel-based Comand R-Line seats use much thicker Gearlever blocks view of
control set-up, here replaced bolsters and Alcantara bits to stop/start and drive mode
by a haptic trackpad with help differentiate from other buttons. Easy to prod the wrong
pinch-to-zoom functionality on normal Golfs. Shame they’re one, mainly when trying to
the nav. Mostly works. less supportive than the de-activate the irritatingly eager
A-Class seats. engine cut-out.
drive the default transmission for most And it’s very well insulated, with none of the skimping
versions, although some have a seven-speed that often leaves smaller cars feeling and sounding like poor
DSG dual-clutch option available (and the R relations. Get moving in the XC40 and you quickly become
and Alltrack are all-wheel drive). Ours has the keenly aware of small, oft ignored noises like the palms of your
1.5-litre TSI Evo engine and DSG. hands gripping and sliding across the soft leather wheel and the
And here comes the CAR curveball. If subtle creak of leather against jeans.
you’re looking at leasing a new A-Class or It’s just so peaceful in here, the value of which you appreciate
KEY TECH: VOLKSWAGEN Golf, the XC40 becomes a serious alternative. keenly whenever you find yourself in slow, urban traffic. While
Cylinder The sums add up, there’s novelty value and
strong emotional appeal; something about
all around you are popping blood vessels with frustration at
their painfully slow rate of progress, you’ll be blissfully isolated
deactivation the smallest XC makes people smile. For and relaxed. A Volvo really can do that for you, and it’s in this
This Golf isn’t the first VW Group
car to get the 1.5-litre TSI Evo
pretty much the same outlay that will get setting that the XC40 makes most sense.
you either of these two turbocharged hatches The silence comes from a mix of smaller details that add up to Volvo’s sticking with its
engine (our Seat Arona long-term
iPad-like portrait-orientated
test car has it, for instance) but it’s with an automatic transmission, you can get a comforting recipe. The tiny three-cylinder engine barely emits Sensus infotainment system.
a sweet engine that benefits from a turbocharged Swedish crossover with a a sound while you’re mooching through town, so well insulated Screen shape useful for
cylinder deactivation technology.
manual ’box. is the engine bay. Your peace is barely disturbed by bumpy roads, reading the road on the nav.
This can switch off two of the
four cylinders when you’re going The XC40 has two diesel (D3 and D4) and as even in R-Design Pro spec with big alloys the ride quality
easy on the throttle, to help fuel three petrol options (T3, T4 and T5) to choose excels against today’s rivals, with little more than a muffled
efficiency. But then the Merc’s
engine does that, too. from and three main trims: Momentum, thunk as the well-judged damping does its thing.
R-Design and Inscription, all with their own At higher speeds the softly sprung suspension impressively
supplementary ‘Pro’ configuration that adds in some bonus kit. smoothes off bumps, but the XC reminds you that it’s a crossover
Our R-Design Pro contender uses Volvo’s new T3 three-cylinder when you start swinging through bends – it can get roly-poly in Door inlays and floor use
carpet made mostly from
turbo engine, a manual gearbox (the only transmission available a way the two hatchbacks don’t. Flicking the drive mode switch recycled plastic bottles.
with the T3) and front-wheel drive. through to Dynamic firms the ride a little (where the £750 Active Also available in this
There’s widespread agreement that this is one very good Four option’s ticked) but doesn’t eliminate roll. eye-searing Lava Orange.
looking car, especially with the contrasting roof. The interior These same B-road larks will involve much use of the chunky
is a masterclass in functional but highly stylish and slightly gearlever, which has a pleasingly positive action. The T3 engine’s Lean pews shaped to encourage
good posture. Leather and
quirky design, too. Inside and out, this has to be one of the most got a useful amount of torque, and it all lives below 4000rpm. Alcantara upholstery feels great
attractive crossovers of any size. Volvo could have downsized the Venture further and it’s raspy and harsh all the way to redline. and there’s plenty of adjustment.
current XC90/XC60 template to create a perfectly decent XC40, That aside, the XC40 has a wonderful air of cool, functional
but this is something else again, and all the better for it. modernity. Comparing it directly with the Golf and Merc4
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Giant Test A-Class vs rivals
Prepare to be amazed.
The (optional) A-Class
digital dash dates
everything else horribly
So, some of the Volvo’s sound deadening would help inside,
but otherwise it’s wonderful. The old A-Class had an interior
Merc’s most direct that was almost an affront to Merc’s heritage, with cheap and
challenge so far to the nasty materials almost everywhere. Not so in this roomy and
dominant Golf, and its
most successful innovative cabin. When Mercedes first revealed the interior of
its new hatch there was astonishment, mainly because it looked
like such a huge step forward. In reality? Yes, it really is a huge
is a reminder of the joys of being a bit higher up, with a relaxed For all its lack of novelty or innovation, step. The steering wheel, derived from the S-Class, is just one
driving position and a light, airy ambience. and for all our doubts about the choice of of the big new features jostling for your attention alongside the
The Golf, meanwhile, is… well, a Golf – with all of the many wheels fitted to this particular test car, the twin-screen infotainment/instrument cluster layout and soft
benefits and minor gripes that brings. We’re a big fan of the TSI Golf is still a fine choice: it’s good to drive, silver vents that now don’t feel like they were bulk-bought in a
Evo engine – a neat blend of punch and thrift. Potter around easy to live with, and with that reassuring closing-down sale. Granted, the two 10.25-inch displays are
town and there’s barely any audible sign of effort, even in full feeling triangulated from robustness, ele- optional, but spec the Premium Pack for £2395 and you’ll benefit
four-cylinder mode. It’s at this moment where you realise exactly gance and precision. from those and many other luxuries – it’s worth it.
where the Golf excels – its latest engine tech is just so unobtru- Then the Mercedes swoops in. The ride For many people, this A-Class will turn out to be the junior Thinking of breaking
sive, but that’s the point. The only inkling that you’re getting quality is good (despite also being on 18- premium car they’ve been waiting for – a relatively affordable out of your hatch
habit? XC40 is a great
particularly thrifty is when the ‘Eco’ light pings on and you’re inch wheels) and driving a proper road is a KEY TECH: MERCEDES way into Mercedes ownership. No caveats. Sit in this classy way to make the leap
in two-cylinder mode; something that becomes an addictive, pleasure. The steering could do with more ‘Hey Mercedes!’ cabin, especially if it’s one of the better equipped ones, and
video game-esque challenge with an attention-bereft millennial feedback, and it’s extremely light in Comfort Every new A-Class comes with you have pretty much everything the driver of an E-Class or
at the wheel. When you give it your full right boot, power keeps mode, but there’s a precision about it that Merc’s new MBUX infotainment S-Class enjoys. Once you start moving, of course, the experience how pleasing and sensible the cockpit is, with some useful
system. Basic cars use seven-inch
steadily increasing nearly all the way up to the redline. Whether brings confidence when you up the pace. On displays for both infotainment diverges from that offered by those big saloons, but not wildly cubbies on the centre console and the Discover Navigation
at low or high speeds, the seven-speed DSG auto ’box deals with the same roads that have the Golf nervously and instrument needs. Every car so. Mercedes’ timeless values have been successfully captured in system taking pride of place in the centre. This particular Golf
the shove deftly and without any judder. hopping and skipping, the Merc corners just also has a voice assistant you hatchback form, at last. is dolled up with several thousand pounds worth of optional
can talk to in a natural way, rather
In this group the Golf’s ride can feel too harsh, even with the as flatly but without the drama. The steering’s than having to use truncated
The genius of the new A-Class is that it feels really special, extras, with kit like the Active Info Display (the equivalent gear
optional adaptive dampers on their softest setting. R-Line cars precision and the more supple damping commands. It helped us with despite its current range of engines leaving a little to be is standard on the Volvo and Mercedes), some additional safety
have lowered springs, and our car has optional 18-inch Sebring perform an impressive double act, smothering navigation, ambient lighting and desired. Much of this is down to the neat, clever and very equipment and climate control (again, standard on the Volvo
alloys rather than the R-Line’s standard 17s. This set-up can the road’s imperfections without numbing climate controls. modern-feeling infotainment and instrumentation, but even and Mercedes) sending the price up to Golf R money.
disturb that subtle contentment usually found when driving your lines of communication. if you were to opt out of that level of spec you’d still have an The Volvo’s interior is different but, again, highly pleasing.
Volkswagen’s family hatch, and on rutted roads can set your Merc’s new 1.33-litre engine is the most powerful of this not interior that resets the bar. The only signs of sub-par build Everything you touch has a soft or cool finish to it, with the
head bouncing like you’re at an Iron Maiden concert. The very powerful trio, and feels so much more eager than the TSI quality are the flimsy-feeling indicator stalks and the bank of leather/Alcantara seats and hooped metal door pulls being
18-inch wheels seem to contribute extra road noise, too. On Evo engine. Its power delivery remains smooth all the way climate control-buttons which, on our car at least, creaked in particular highlights. Given the XC40 is a lower-end model
the other hand, the stiffer springs help when you’re hustling it through the rev band. The engine’s biggest flaw is that it’s so their housing when prodded. on the Volvo spectrum, it’s also comforting to see that there
around a sharp bend. damn noisy, like a Magimix blender on steroids. You don’t get any of that in the Golf. We’ll never tire of saying hasn’t been a lower-grade infotainment system fitted – the4
100 CARMAGA ZINE.CO.UK | August 2018 August 2018 | CARMAGA ZINE.CO.UK 101
Giant Test A-Class vs rivals
Mercedes-Benz A200 Volkswagen Golf R-Line Volvo XC40 T3 portrait-orientated Sensus system looks The XC40 on test is the next step up in terms of monthly
AMG Line Premium 1.5 TSI Evo R-Design Pro as crisp as ever and is easy to get to grips repayments and its finance deals are more logically linked to
with. Still wouldn’t mind some manual trim and performance: the basic T3 Momentum is cheaper to
climate-control buttons, though. lease, while more powerful engine options and the Inscription
Price (as tested) | £28,700 (£31,710) Price (as tested) | £26,160 (£34,370) Price (as tested) | £31,360 (£38,335)
Engine | 1332cc 16v turbo 4-cyl Engine | 1498cc 16v turbo 4-cyl Engine | 1477cc 12v turbo 3-cyl The Mercedes sits low, like its trim cost more. The Mercedes, meanwhile, is pricey – reflecting
Transmission | 7-speed dual-clutch Transmission | 7-speed Transmission | 6-speed predecessor, but has more shoulder, the fact that it’s only just arrived on the leasing scene. The
auto, front-wheel drive dual-clutch auto, front-wheel drive manual, front-wheel drive elbow and headroom, with tall people Premium Package – well worth it in terms of equipment and
Suspension | MacPherson strut front, Suspension | MacPherson strut Suspension | MacPherson strut
multi-link rear front, multi-link rear front, multi-link rear
now allowed in the back, plus there’s price – adds around £60 per month, so if you can do without that,
Made of | Steel Made of | Steel, aluminium Made of | Steel slightly more boot space and a wider a regular A200 AMG Line is around £275 per month at the time
KEY TECH: VOLVO aperture. The Golf is better still, with a of writing.
All-new engine slightly bigger boot than the Merc and The Golf is practical and attractive in R-Line guise, and scores
slightly easier access into the rear seats. big with its smooth petrol engine – one that can rival diesels for
Volvo’s recent focus has been on
1658mm
1492mm
Naturally, though, it’s the crossover that’s economy. But the flipside to the R-Line is overly firm suspension
1433mm
electrifying its engine range, but
it still found time to co-develop the most practical – with a far larger boot and driving refinement issues unexpected in a Golf. Volvo’s baby
a whole new petrol engine with and roomy rear. But avoid speccing the XC is in many ways the most desirable car here. An isolation
parent company Geely. The T3 is a
turbocharged triple that’s not exactly sunroof on the XC40 if you regularly have chamber on wheels when you’re just out to waft around town,
4299mm 1780mm 4258mm 1790mm 4425mm 1863mm innovative compared with Volvo’s adults or tall teens back there – it steals it’s super-comfy, has an interior that pips the Mercedes for build
big talk about electrification but it’s from the already tight rear headroom. quality and is the most practical car of the trio. But its SUV
impressively torquey and efficient.
If you’re serious about leasing one shape works against it, too – the soft ride translates into body
Power and torque Weight Power to weight Want to go fast? You’re probably in
of these, do your homework on the roll without much effort. The three-cylinder motor also isn’t
the wrong car.
We say | Merc’s tiny engine punchiest, Volvo We say | XC’s heft highlights the We say | Merc’s chunk of extra power overcomes Parkers website, which sifts through the particularly flexible, and makes the Volvo the slowest car on test
most flexible despite being down a cylinder big downside of drift towards SUVs its weight disadvantage versus the VW
best deals from external brokers. We found the Golf came out by a margin.
cheapest to put on a personal-contract purchase deal. The Mercedes clinches the victory – it’s the fastest, the best
161bhp @ 5500rpm
Mercedes But keep clicking and you’ll notice there isn’t a huge price to drive, and has an interior that scores highly in terms of
184lb ft @ 1620rpm difference between Volkswagen’s R-Line Golfs and its full-bore both technology and design. And it’s finally a properly usable
VW hot hatches: right now, a GTI Performance Pack can be had for hatchback – your bags and rear passengers no longer suffer for
VW
148bhp @ 5000rpm
1347kg a very similar amount of money over a three-year, 10,000-mile
leasing deal, and a fire-breathing Golf R is only around £20 more
your hunger for a Merc badge. However people intend to pay for
the new A-Class, they’ll be doing so in numbers.
184lb ft @ 1500rpm per month if you can stomach the higher running costs. @_jakegroves
Mercedes Volvo
Volvo
154bhp @ 5000rpm 1375kg 1497kg Mercedes VW Volvo
195lb ft @ 3850rpm 117bhp 110bhp 103bhp
per tonne per tonne per tonne
0-62mph Official and test mpg Top speed
We say | Merc We say | The price we paid for spirited driving; you We say | All three run out of puff naturally,
1st
would get out of will get better figures than this… not via limiters
the supermarket
3rd 2nd
car park first
Mercedes Mercedes 100 Most engaging to drive,
8.0sec 139mph feels quick, and the
VW tech-fest interior is a A living classic, with a Comfortable, quiet, and
Test
15
Volvo VW great place to be practical and smooth very desirable inside
50
VW
0
8.3sec Mercedes
23.0mpg Test 134mph drivetrain, although and out, if dynami-
Test
22.3mpg this one suffers from cally challenged
Volvo 20.3mpg Official
56.5mpg Official
Volvo a harsh ride
s
9.4sec ed 124mph
e
20
Vo
M erc Official 44.8mpg
0
V
0
lv
W
53.3mpg
o
Fuel tank Range C02 Lease rates
We say | Thirstiest car on test also We say | This is based on our test We say | Cylinder deactivation the We say | Merc would be £60 cheaper
has the smallest tank figures, so expect to go much further legit way to get good CO2 figures if you opted out of Premium-spec
Mercedes: 192 Volvo
Mercedes £336
146
36 months, 10k miles, £3022 up front
VW: 253
Volvo: 265
Mercedes g/km
£277
123
Mercedes VW Volvo VW
43 50 54 VW
36 months, 10k miles, £2490 up front
114
g/km
litres litres litres
g/km
Volvo £312
36 months, 10k miles, £2805 up front
A Golf coming third in
a CAR hatch test? And
one of the others isn’t a
hatch? Strange days…
102 CARMAGA ZINE.CO.UK | August 2018 August 2018 | SUBSCRIBE TO CAR & SAVE UP TO 62%! GRE ATMAGA ZINES.CO.UK /CAR 103
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