The $46,000 Mercedes-Benz A220 is the newest entry point to the famous luxury brand. We tested it to see if the 2019 Car of the Year runner-up is worthy of the badge.

Nov 21, 2019, 22:22 IST

The A220 is a subcompact four-door that now slots in below the C-Class. A-Class rides are Mercedes' new point-of-entry. In "Iridium Silver Metallic," the A220 looks sharp, but it also blends in.

If I had to sum the A220 up, I'd say the front is sleek and elegant, while the stubby rear ... is not.

The compact stance definitely works better up front. My A220 had a special AMG Line package ($2,600 extra) that included a diamond-block grille, vented front disc brakes, and a dropped suspension.

The Mercedes tri-star badge is prominent against the blacked-out grille, with a pair of chrome wings that add some real design energy to the fascia. And of course, the hood ornaments of yore, so easy to steal, have been supplanted by bas-relief badges.

The Mercedes tri-star badge is prominent against the blacked-out grille, with a pair of chrome wings that add some real design energy to the fascia. And of course, the hood ornaments of yore, so easy to steal, have been supplanted by bas-relief badges.

The sloping roofline is on-trend for auto design these days, but I'm no fan of the A220's rear end, which manages to be both truncated and insubstantial.

It's also rather busy, with the angled tail lights crowding out the tri-star badge. The dual exhaust pipes look good, however.

The powerplant is a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine, making 188 horsepower with 221 pound-feet of torque. The transmission is a crisp-shifting seven-speed dual-clutch unit.

The motor is one of the best things about the A220. Does it deliver a mountain of horsepower? No. But the combo of ponies and available torque makes for snappy driving, and the AMG performance goodies added to the car mean you're getting a platform that can be pushed to max out its potential.

The motor is one of the best things about the A220. Does it deliver a mountain of horsepower? No. But the combo of ponies and available torque makes for snappy driving, and the AMG performance goodies added to the car mean you're getting a platform that can be pushed to max out its potential.

The interior of the A220 should turn off nobody. On the inside, Mercedes is doing a phenomenal job with its cars, balancing bling with posh and throwing in a heapin' helpin' of high tech.

The seats are upholstered in two-tone leather: "Titanium Gray/Black." It's a handsome color scheme, a bit less flashy than what I've seen on more upscale Mercs.

For some, Mercedes bling is off-putting. I'd call the A220's interior minimalist and tasteful. Minimalist, that is, in the Mercedes context — an Audi this isn't. The grabber is the large instrument panel/infotainment screen that extends across the left half of the dashboard.

For some, Mercedes bling is off-putting. I'd call the A220's interior minimalist and tasteful. Minimalist, that is, in the Mercedes context — an Audi this isn't. The grabber is the large instrument panel/infotainment screen that extends across the left half of the dashboard.

The instruments are all digital, and the resolution is stunning.

The instrument/infotainment screen is over 20 square inches. The 10.25-inch infotainment display runs Mercedes' pretty good, yet not great, system.

The system uses a touchscreen, but there's also this wrist-rest configuration with buttons and inputs to prevent excessive interaction with the screen while driving. It's a mixed bag, performance-wise. I'd grade it a B-.

The system uses a touchscreen, but there's also this wrist-rest configuration with buttons and inputs to prevent excessive interaction with the screen while driving. It's a mixed bag, performance-wise. I'd grade it a B-.

So what's the verdict on the Mercedes A220 4Matic sedan?

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The $46,000 Mercedes-Benz A220 is the newest entry point to the famous luxury brand. We tested it to see if the 2019 Car of the Year runner-up is worthy of the badge.

The A220 is a subcompact four-door that now slots in below the C-Class. A-Class rides are Mercedes' new point-of-entry. In "Iridium Silver Metallic," the A220 looks sharp, but it also blends in.

If I had to sum the A220 up, I'd say the front is sleek and elegant, while the stubby rear ... is not.

The compact stance definitely works better up front. My A220 had a special AMG Line package ($2,600 extra) that included a diamond-block grille, vented front disc brakes, and a dropped suspension.

The Mercedes tri-star badge is prominent against the blacked-out grille, with a pair of chrome wings that add some real design energy to the fascia. And of course, the hood ornaments of yore, so easy to steal, have been supplanted by bas-relief badges.

The sloping roofline is on-trend for auto design these days, but I'm no fan of the A220's rear end, which manages to be both truncated and insubstantial.

It's also rather busy, with the angled tail lights crowding out the tri-star badge. The dual exhaust pipes look good, however.

The powerplant is a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine, making 188 horsepower with 221 pound-feet of torque. The transmission is a crisp-shifting seven-speed dual-clutch unit.

The motor is one of the best things about the A220. Does it deliver a mountain of horsepower? No. But the combo of ponies and available torque makes for snappy driving, and the AMG performance goodies added to the car mean you're getting a platform that can be pushed to max out its potential.

The interior of the A220 should turn off nobody. On the inside, Mercedes is doing a phenomenal job with its cars, balancing bling with posh and throwing in a heapin' helpin' of high tech.

The seats are upholstered in two-tone leather: "Titanium Gray/Black." It's a handsome color scheme, a bit less flashy than what I've seen on more upscale Mercs.

For some, Mercedes bling is off-putting. I'd call the A220's interior minimalist and tasteful. Minimalist, that is, in the Mercedes context — an Audi this isn't. The grabber is the large instrument panel/infotainment screen that extends across the left half of the dashboard.

The instruments are all digital, and the resolution is stunning.

The instrument/infotainment screen is over 20 square inches. The 10.25-inch infotainment display runs Mercedes' pretty good, yet not great, system.

The system uses a touchscreen, but there's also this wrist-rest configuration with buttons and inputs to prevent excessive interaction with the screen while driving. It's a mixed bag, performance-wise. I'd grade it a B-.

So what's the verdict on the Mercedes A220 4Matic sedan?