What can you get with RM267,888? A lot of things, we bet. If you ask Mercedes-Benz Malaysia, they will post probably point towards the Mercedes-Benz A 250 AMG Line. Why? Because that is how much it costs and we here at Piston.my had the opportunity to test this bad boy out (huge thanks to Mercedes-Benz Malaysia for the hook-up).
Globally, the new A-Class is quickly becoming the go-to model for those who are looking for something premium yet youthful. Stylish but not to flashy. Powerful yet contented. From our first impressions, that was what we thought of the A 250 AMG Line and most folks would tend to agree, even before taking the car out for a spin.
Infused with Mercedes-Benz’s ‘Sensual Purity’ design philosophy, the A 250 is pretty much like an iPhone. Sleek, minimalist, and unadulterated. From a company renowned for its efficiency and functionality, the A 250 went the other way when initially sketched on the drawing boards where the designers went with stirring emotions instead.
The result is a car that’s so fresh and so clean, clean that it manages to break through the conventional audience of the brand and straight towards the hipsters and millennials who want something different than what their parents drive. Step inside the car and you’ll quickly understand what we mean.
A balanced interior welcomes any occupants with style and pizzazz. That thing which looks like a stretched-out iPad is actually the instrument panel and centre console which offer information and control of the vehicle in probably the most stylish manners amongst other competitors in its class.
Everything seems to work in unison to provide an almost surreal driving experience, especially with its ability to alter its ambient lighting to any colour you desire. It was a time when this particular editor was hooked with Billie Eilish and listening to her single ‘idontwannabeyouanymore’ while driving in the heart of Kuala Lumpur at night was sublime and emotional (in the best manner possible).
Moving on the performance, the A 250 has a thing or two to kick things up a notch. Its 2.0-litre turbocharged engine is able to produce 224hp and 350Nm of torque, propelling it from 0-100km/h in only 6.2 seconds. We had loads of fun testing this, over and over again and we can safely say, those first six seconds were ecstatic.
With all that power pushing a hot hatchback that only weighs less than 1,400kg, the A 250 is able to reach great speeds. Fiddling with its seven-speed DCT transmission was loads of good fun but we found a slight issue when braking hard. We noticed that the car tends to sway ever so slightly from the rear during hard braking. All it took was some steering correction to keep it going straight, which is not hard to do, but it still required some manoeuvrability to ensure that you reach a safe and complete stop. Weird, this one.
The lowered comfort suspension and direct-steer system might have something to do with this and after going through all possibilities, we concurred that the A 250 AMG Line is tuned more towards the comfort driving spectrum rather than performance (more than we initially suspected).
With that being said, the A 250 AMG Line does provide a sublime driving experience even for those sitting at the back. Quick note: The A 250 AMG Line does look sleek and low but based from one of our readers who own this very model, some fancy manoeuvres were needed when driving over unregulated speed bumps, especially when fully loaded. Curse you, speed bumps.
Mercedes-Benz is also known for their safety and the A 250 AMG Line is no exception. Fitted with Active Brake Assist and Adaptive Highbeam Assist just to name a few, rest assured that there’s always that bit of assistance to help you out when you need it. We hope that you don’t have to but hey, having those safety specs are very reassuring, especially with a car that costs as much as a premium apartment.
All in all, we love how the A 250 AMG Line is able to connect with its drivers and occupants on an emotional level rather than the usual German automotive perfection. You can be pleased with driving around at night while enjoying the urban nightlife or you can tear up the mountain roads to blow off some steam.
Whatever the case may be, it’s a versatile piece of machinery and we wouldn’t want it any other way. For all you 80s and 90s kids who want to step things up to a new level, you should highly consider the A 250 AMG Line. If you want something a bit classier with a slightly lower dose of performance, the A 200 Progressive Line might just float your boat.
