The 2022 Mercedes-Benz A-Class is a premium small luxury sedan. Though it’s tight on rear seat space and trunk space, it has a top-notch interior and is a terrific car to drive. It effortlessly blends sharp handling with a soft suspension that soaks up bumps in the road. The A-Class was introduced for the 2019 model year. For the 2022 model year, the A-Class is largely unchanged. It provides 8.6 cubic feet of trunk space, which is not much, but it is serviceable.

Trims for the A-Class are broken out by powertrain, including A220 and Mercedes-AMG A 35. Standard equipment on the A220 includes synthetic leather upholstery (MB-Tex), dual-zone automatic climate control, remote start, power-adjustable front seats, HD radio, a fully digital instrument panel, and a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A Premium package adds larger screens for the digital instrument panel and infotainment system, as well as a hands-free power trunk. An AMG-Line package adds an upgraded AMG suspension system, as well as aluminum paddle shifters and sport front bucket seats. 4Matic all-wheel drive (AWD) is an additional $2,000.

The AMG 35 A features an upgraded powertrain, performance suspension, larger infotainment and instrument panel screens, a sport exhaust system, and high-performance brakes.

The base engine comes in the A220 and A220 4Matic. It is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 188 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque. Power is routed through a seven-speed automatic transmission to the front wheels or available 4Matic AWD. Both setups yield a zero-to-60-mph time of 7.1 seconds. If that’s not brisk enough for you, the Mercedes-AMG A 35 also features a 2.0-liter turbo-four, but here it’s tuned to put out 302 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque.

The 2022 Mercedes-Benz A220 returns fuel economy of 25 mpg city, 35 highway, and 28 combined. The Mercedes-AMG A 35 returns 22 mpg city, 30 highway, and 25 combined. Premium fuel is required.

The A-Class comes equipped with a host of driver-assistance features, including automatic emergency braking, forward collision avoidance, pedestrian detection, driver drowsiness monitoring, crosswind assist, and blind-spot monitoring. Additionally, available driver-assistance features include adaptive cruise control, a 360-degree parking monitor, lane-departure warning, traffic-sign recognition, and parallel parking assist.

Base MSRP for the 2022 Mercedes-Benz A-Class is $33,950 for the A220. The AWD A220 4Matic starts at $35,950. The AMG A 35 starts at $46,000. The A-Class is backed by a four-year/50,000-mile warranty.