The styling is geared to do just that, with a much more fluid treatment that's targeting the premium end of the compact family hatch business where Audi's A3 and BMW's 1 Series hold court.
And the new car is also staking a claim to conquest sales from the more highly specified versions of the standard compact hatches such as Volkswagen's Golf, Ford's Focus and Opel's Astra.
A recent week with the A-Class gave me more time to evaluate it than an earlier short experience. The result is a mix of appreciation and 'why did they do that?'.
The car does look good. But caveat the colours ... it's not shown at its best in black. The front is unmistakably Merc, that logo star in the middle of the grille can't be anything else.
The sculpted side view shows a substantial expanse of sheetmetal, with a highish window line underpinning visually a steep-raked front screen and glasshouse leading to a strong rear end treatment.
But I experienced my main criticism very much in millimetre measurements when getting into the driver's seat. Right, I'm tall, but the cab-forward design and steep curve of the door arch meant that I was contorting my head and neck pretty well every time. Somewhere in Stuttgart there's a short designer who doesn't have to do this.
Once in though, it's a very comfortable Merc environment. Very familiar, because Mercedes-Benz sticks well with controls and dials themes across all its models. The multipurpose screen mounted on the dash does look like an afterthought, but you get used to it and it provides its various informations in a nice clear manner. The graphics in the speedo don't do so at certain light levels, and need a rethink or a look at, say, Kia's.
Roomy and well-supporting seats, a nice-gripping steering wheel, and good visibility fore and aft except in one aspect. That latter is related to the very thick B-pillar, which severely blocks the view when turning to see if the rear three-quarter quadrant is clear of traffic at an acute intersection.
For those in the back there's ample room all around, including for the tall heads getting in. Knees and shoulders are well catered for. The boot capacity is adequate rather than class leading, or it seemed that way anyhow.
The trip information options include one of the best ideas for economical driving which I've come across. In a simple three-strip view, it shows the levels of economy achieved by the driver in acceleration, smooth driving, and deceleration, and provides an overall percentage of that economy. Non distractive and at the same time encouraging, I liked it much.
I didn't like at all the position of the electronic brake operation, low under the right hand dash to mimic the release of the old foot-operated parking brake. I don't like electronic brakes, but if we have to have them, let the button be high and visible, and preferably on the centre console.
It might seem that I'm being a bit pernickity in my criticisms here. But that's only because the overall car is not just good, but very good indeed. It deserves to do well for the brand, which is fighting back on a number of fronts to regain ground against invaders of its traditional terrain. I think it will do well, and when you tally the various technologies and comforts that are part of the preferred grades, potential buyers won't feel short-changed.
A-Class prices start at €29,180, and the review car rolled out at €29,885 which included a number of extras. If you walked away from the old version because it was more MPV than car, you might walk back and take a fresh view at a much more relevant car.
AT A GLANCE
BRAND: Mercedes-Benz; MODEL: A-Class; TYPE: Hatchback.
ENGINE: Size 1.5 Dsl; Consumption 4.0L/100km; Road Tax €190.
KEY FEATURES: Roomy, smooth style, Merc DNA.
PRICE AS REVIEWED: €29,885
COMPETITION: Audi A3, BMW 1 Series.
