New Mercedes A-Class: Sportier than Ever?

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Watson proclaims that the interior is the star of the show with the new Mercedes-Benz A-Class. After showing how much seating space this compact hatchback has in the back, he moves to the front seat and walks us through the stunning driver technology.

Like the other new models, the new Mercedes A-Class has the beautiful digital dash that combines the gauge cluster and the infotainment screen into one huge, sprawling layout. He shows how simple it is to use features like the massaging seats and how to make changes in the driver’s information screen, all of which is similar in its function to the systems found in the range-topping S-Class. The A-Class also features the newest voice control system, allowing the driver to make changes to various systems by saying “Hey Mercedes.”

During the drive portion of the video, Watson also shows off the cool augmented reality navigation system and the elaborate automated driving system. He also shows how the self-driving system works, as it requires the driver to offer slight inputs on the steering wheel or the car freaks out and comes to an emergency stop.

A-Class Augmented Reality

Driving the Mercedes A-Class

Feeling adventurous, he drives the car around town and on the open road. In every situation, he finds the new Mercedes compact to be better than the outgoing model, with better dampening of the bumps in the road. The car doesn’t offer quite the connected feel that he would like, but he stresses that it is considerably better than the previous models thanks to the new adaptive suspension system.

In the end, Watson loves the new Mercedes-Benz A-Class and while he sees areas that could be improved upon, the key note here is that the most affordable Benz has gotten a whole lot better.

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"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com


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