What_Car_UK_-_August_2020

18 August 2020 whatcar.com

Mercedes-Benz A250e

Plug-inhybridperformanceandefciencyaddtotheappealof

Mercedes’classyfamilyhatchOnsaleNowPricefrom£32,

IFYOUIDENTIFYassomethingofatechaddict,

youmightbeinterestedinthelatestversionof

theMercedes-BenzA-Class:theplug-inhybrid

A250e.Itcombinesa157bhp1.3-litrepetrol

enginewithanelectricmotorthatboosts

overallpowertoahealthy215bhp.

Thatmeansit’sswift,witha0-62mphtime

ofjust6.6sec.But,moreimportantly,ithasan

officialelectric-onlyrangeofupto 44 miles

andpromisesfueleconomyofupto256.8mpg.

Ofcourse,you’llhavetoplugitinafterevery

tripanddomainlyshorttripstoseethatsort

ofeconomy,buttherangefigureisentirely

believable;wemanagedmorethan 40 mileson

batterypoweralone,andthatincludedagood

portionofcharge-sappingmotorwayrunning.

Tohelpyoumanagetheamountofcharge

inthebatteryandtheresponsivenessofthe

engine,yougetseveraldrivingmodesinthe

A250e. As well as the usual Comfort and Sport,

there are two new settings: Electric and Battery

Level. The latter limits electrical assistance

when the engine is running to prevent the

electric range from being eroded, whereas the

former gives you electric-only running.

In Electric mode,yougetnippy, near-silent

Drivingpositionis comfortable;qualityis rightupthere

accelerationandan87mphtopspeed,soyou

caneasilykeepupwithfast-movingtraffic.

Plus,youcanadjusthowmuchregenerative

brakingyougetviathesteeringwheelpaddles;

thehigherthesetting,

thegreatertheamountof

electricitythat’sputbackinto

thebatterywhenyouliftoff

the accelerator, with the side

effect that the car slows more

dramatically. That can be

handy, because the brakes are

rather grabby compared with

those of most regular cars.

In default Comfort mode,

you’ll be surprised at how

hard you can push the

accelerator pedal without

waking the petrol engine, and this makes

progress particularly quiet around town. It’s

disappointing, however, that the engine is

quiteabruptwhenitdoesfinallychimein,with

anincongruouslygruffnoise.

AlthoughtheA250eweightsabout200kg

morethanaregularpetrolA-Class,you

onlyfeelthatextrabulkwhencornering

enthusiastically; the body leans over a bit more

and the car doesn’t feel as agile. But for those

drivers who are likely to spend most of their

time commuting and running around town,

we reckon the improved fuel economy and

superior refinement provided by the A250e’s

hybrid system far outweigh the handling

compromise. Even the ride quality isn’t badly

affected; the A250e occasionally shudders over

larger abrasions such as manhole covers, but

it’s never uncomfortable.

Inside, other than the hybrid-specific

information displays that show your range, the

level of regenerative braking and how much

electric power you’re using, the A250e is almost

identical to other A-Class models. In short,

it looks slick and benefits from the brand’s

impressive infotainment system, but doesn’t

feel as robust as the interior of a BMW 1 Series.

Thanks to its battery being positioned under

the rear seat and the use of a smaller 36-litre

fuel tank, passenger space remains unchanged.

The electrical equipment that

lurks beneath raises the boot

floor, though, so load space

drops from 370 litres to 310:

roughly the same capacity as

you get in a Peugeot 208. You

also lose the usual underfloor

storage compartments.

Overall, though, the A250e

is a strong proposition.

Plenty of buyers will be

able to commute on electric

power alone, and its low 6%

BIK rate could save company

car users a lot of money in tax. If you’re after a

quick yet frugal premium hatchback, the A250e

should be near the top of your shortlist.

Withanimpressive all-electric

range, the A250e is the most

appealing A-Class yet

AudiA3^ SAYS

Plusher and roomier

inside, but plug-in

hybrid version has

yet to arrive.

BMW1 Series

Great to drive, and

a plug-in hybrid is

set to join the range

before long. 

RIVALS

Price £35,980 

Engine 4cyl, 1332cc, turbo, petrol,

plus electric motor 

Power 215bhp @ 5500rpm

Torque 331lb ft @ 1600rpm 

Gearbox 9-spd automatic

0-62mph 6.6sec 

Top speed 146mph 

Fuel economy 256.8mpg (combined) 

CO 2 , tax band  25g/km, 6% 

Mercedes-BenzA250e

BUYER’S FILE

FIRST DRIVE

CURRENT AFFAIRS

Mercedes says the

A250e’s lithium ion

battery will be fully

charged after 5.

hours connected to a

domestic mains

socket.

Neil Winn

[email protected]