New 2023 Mercedes-Benz A-Class: price, specs & release date

The Mercedes-Benz A-Class has been facelifted ready for 2023, with ordering open now for the updated premium hatch five-door and saloon.

The Mercedes-Benz A-Class has been enhanced to help it compete with ultra-competitive rivals such as the Audi A3 Sportback and saloon, the BMW 1 Series and 2 Series, and more leftfield entrants such as the DS 4 and Mazda 3, along with higher-end Volkswagen Golf, Cupra Leon and Peugeot 308.

The high-performance Mercedes-AMG A-Class has also been facelifted; it will be offered in both A 35 4Matic and A 45 S 4Matic+ guise.

New Mercedes-Benz A-Class price and release date

New 2023 Mercedes-Benz A-Class prices start from £31,880. This secures an entry-level A 180 Sport Executive petrol-powered hatchback.

The facelifted new Mercedes-Benz Class is open for ordering now, with first UK deliveries expected by the end of 2022 or early 2023.

The latest generation of MBUX touchscreen infotainment features on the 2023 A-Class, with dual 10.25-inch screens.

New Mercedes-Benz A-Class: exterior and interior

The new Mercedes-Benz A-Class is a subtle evolution of the latest version that was introduced in 2018. The key upgrade at the front is a new set of LED headlights. They are cleaner and more modern-looking, with a cool LED strip running across the top which gives a distinctive daytime running light signature.

The new Mercedes-Benz A-Class’s LED rear lights are upgraded too. The units now have a dark red tint, which helps draw out the swoop of the LED running light, to give a distinctive appearance both day and night.

The 2023 Mercedes-Benz A-Class boasts new alloy wheel designs. The range opens with a fresh 17-inch alloy wheel for Sport Executive grade, with the range-topping AMG Line Premium Plus boasting distinctive 19-inch AMG multi-spoke alloys.

Those buying or leasing a new Mercedes-Benz A-Class have a choice of 10 paint colours, with three different solid paint choices, five metallic paints and two exclusive Mercedes-Benz Manufaktur paints.

Inside the new 2023 Mercedes-Benz A-Class, the latest generation of MBUX touchscreen infotainment has been standardised, with dual 10.25-inch screens – they’re now larger than on entry-level versions of the previous A-Class. It has standard sat nav and remote telematics via the Mercedes me smartphone app. A fingerprint scanner is also included, like on high-end laptop computers.

The new Mercedes-Benz A-Class has standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with USB-C charging now also the standard system. There’s a choice of new instrument panel graphics on the 10.25-inch driver display: pick from Classic, Sporty and Discreet.

The 2023 new Mercedes-Benz A-Class range also benefits from four-way lumbar support for the front seats as standard. Those buying or leasing the new premium hatch can choose from black or grey interior colour schemes – both of which can be livened up by standard ambient lighting. The sports seats on AMG Line versions have up to 65% recycled materials.

The new Mercedes-AMG A35 and A45 have an AMG-specific radiator grille and, for the first time, a bespoke AMG emblem badge on the bonnet instead of the Mercedes-Benz star with the laurel wreath. They also have a standard Mercedes-AMG Performance steering wheel inside, with dual rotating dials to select engine and handling modes. AMG Performance seats are also standard.

The plug-in hybrid version combines a 1.3-litre petrol engine with a punchy electric motor for total system power of 218PS.

New Mercedes-Benz A-Class: engines and gearboxes

The new Mercedes-Benz A-Class is offered in A 180 or A 200 petrol engine guise, an A 200 d diesel, and the A 250 e plug-in hybrid. All engines have a standard DCT automatic gearbox, with either seven or eight speeds.

All the new Mercedes-Benz A-Class petrol engines now have 48V mild hybrid technology as standard. This gives a 10kW (around 14PS) power boost when pulling away or accelerating. They also have a clever belt-driven starter-generator (called RSG) which gives ‘silent start’ refinement and allows the engine to be shut down during steady cruising to save fuel (it’s called the ‘sailing’ function).

The new Mercedes-Benz A 180 has a 1.3-litre turbo petrol engine that produces 136PS. It does 0-62mph in 9.2 seconds and averages up to 48.7mpg, with CO2 emissions from 133g/km. The A 200 has a 163PS version of the same engine, for 0-62mph in 8.2 seconds, with identical fuel economy and CO2 emissions.

The new Mercedes-Benz A 200 d uses a 2.0-litre diesel engine, producing 150PS. CO2 emissions are only marginally better than the petrol engines – from 128g/km – and it averages up to 57.6mpg.

An important new Mercedes-Benz A-Class variant will be the A 250 e. This combines a 1.3-litre petrol engine with a punchy electric motor for total system power of 218PS. It does 0-62mph in 7.4 seconds and, thanks to the 15.6kWh plug-in battery, is capable of travelling up to 50 miles in pure electric guise. This delivers CO2 emissions from 18g/km and official fuel economy of up to 353mpg.

The thrilling new Mercedes-AMG A35’s 2.0-litre turbo engine produces 306PS for 0-62mph in as little as 4.7 seconds, while 48V mild hybrid tech gives fuel economy of up to 35mpg. The Mercedes-AMG A45 produces a blistering 421PS for 0-62mph in just 3.9 seconds; both models have 4Matic four-wheel drive and an eight-speed AMG Speedshift DCT automatic gearbox.

The Mercedes-Benz A-Class has always driven in a confident and secure way. The company has retained the existing front-wheel drive platform with just a few minor tweaks to improve comfort and refinement. Active safety systems have been updated for 2023 though, with more intuitive lane-keeping assist through the car’s active steering control.

Find a used Mercedes-Benz A-Class for sale

The fourth-generation Mercedes-Benz A-Class is a very appealing used car buy. You can pick up 2018 A 180 and A 180 d versions, both in Sport trim, for around £18,000. We actually spotted a 2019 A 180 Sport, with around 35,000 miles on the clock, for £18,500 – that’s a lot of car for the money.

Looking for more new car news?

Here at heycar, we help you keep up to speed with the fast-moving world of motoring with all the latest 2022 new car news. We’ve recently revealed all you need to know about the new Volvo EX90, outlined why the new BMW M2 is so exciting, and detailed the new Renault 4 electric that’s set to cause a stir in coming years.

The new Mercedes-Benz A-Class is available in Sport Executive, AMG Line Executive, AMG Line Premium, AMG Line Premium Plus and Exclusive Launch Edition trims.

The Mercedes-AMG models are the high-performance versions of the new Mercedes-Benz A-Class. Choose either the Mercedes-AMG A 35 4Matic or the Mercedes-AMG A 45 S 4Matic+.

Those buying or leasing a new Mercedes-Benz A-Class can choose either from hatchback or saloon body styles.