As before, most A-Class variants will be sold in the £25,000 to £35,000 bracket. There's a choice of five-door hatch or Saloon body styles and three basic levels of trim - 'SE', 'Sport' and 'AMG Line', with an emphasis on the latter two spec levels further up the range. The base A 180 1.3-litre 136hp petrol model is your cheapest way into A-Class motoring, but if you can afford to stretch up to and beyond the £25,000 price point, then your options widen. This kind of money gets you either the more sophisticated engine of the A 200 1.3-litre 163hp petrol version we tried, priced from around £27,000. Or what's usually been the best seller in the A-Class line-up, the A 180d 1.5-litre 116hp diesel variant.
As before, a very large proportion of models will be sold with automatic transmission, an improved '7G-DCT' 7-speed unit. Where an auto gearbox is optional - as it is for example, on the volume A180 and A200 petrol models - it's a £1,600 option; we had it on our A 200 test car. As standard, all variants get 7-inch instrument binnacle and centre dash infotainment screens. You'll have to pay extra for an 'Executive' or a 'Premium' pack if you want the larger 10.25-inch screens we tried. Other standard kit includes 16-inch alloy wheels and the upholstery is trimmed in a combination of fabric and 'ARTICO' man-made leather. Navigation's standard too, as is a DAB radio, air conditioning, cruise control with a speed limiter, a reversing camera and a multi-function leather-stitched steering wheel.
