The Transformers series of movies have been pretty mediocre - three of the five movies in the franchise have a Rotten Tomatoes score of less than 20%. By far the most egregious is the fourth instalment, Age Of Extinction - it has an 18% score, but has raked in over $1 billion worldwide. In 2014, it was the only film to cross the billion-dollar mark, and the film sucked!

Which leads to a very simple question - why? Well, because it's the Transformers. It's the same thing with X-Men and DC - there have been hits and misses (mostly misses), but studios continue to pump out these shows because they know the money will stream in. The franchise name alone is the selling point.

What does this have to do with cars? We sometimes joke that certain cars don't need to be reviewed, because people buy these cars regardless how good (or bad) they are. Cynics among us would contend that the Mercedes A-Class is one such car. According to Mercedes, more than a quarter of the cars sold in 2017 were from its compact car range, comprising the A or B-Class, CLA, CLA Shooting Brake and GLA. The logic is quite simple - these compact cars are the easiest (and most affordable) entry point to the luxury brand.

Here, then, is the brand new fourth generation A-Class, which will undoubtedly continue to be a big seller for the German brand.


Upsize

The new A-Class has grown bigger - it's 120mm longer, 16mm wider, 6mm taller and has a 30mm longer wheelbase. This translates to slightly more space inside its compact body, which helps to improve the car's day-to-day practicality. The 370-litre boot has grown as well, an increase of 29 litres.

As far as looks go, it's neither particularly good-looking nor offensive. It's sleek-looking enough, but most people aren't going to look past the three-pointed star on the car's nose.


Update

Where the A-Class is notably improved is in the cabin. It's quite futuristic, though some may argue overly so.

Slip into the driver seat and your eyes are immediately drawn to the twin 10.25-inch displays comprising the digital instrument display and the central media display. It's a sleek and seamless setup (familiar from the E-Class) that elevates the cabin's quality and refinement. Using the central media display, you can configure the car in a multitude of ways - set up as 'Themes' - that adjust everything from the display style, choice of ambient lighting or even the way the car drives.