With a land size similar to Johor and nestled in the Balkans of Europe, Slovenia has been part of larger realms ranging from the two Roman empires to the Habsburg Monarchy and finally the communist-run Yugoslavia.
After breaking away from Yugoslavia and declaring its independence in 1991, this nation with a population of some two million has been thrust into self-reliance and the coming of age.
Sharing borders with Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia, Slovenia is among the wealthiest of the former Yugoslavian states and is a member of EU and Nato.
Perhaps it was apt that the international media test drive of the new Mercedes-Benz A Class took place here recently.
In some ways, Slovenia (not to be mistaken with the nearby Slovakia) might draw some parallels with the third generation “Baby Merc”.
Both have grown up considerably. The original “cuddly” mini-MPV looks of the first two generations of the A Class are gone – replaced with a leaner, more emotive and muscular hunkered appearance.
Based on Mercedes-Benz’s Concept A-Class which was unveiled last year, the new five-door A Class is 160mm lower than the previous generation model and with this comes the promise of higher levels of agility and handling dynamics.
The face is unmistakably Mercedes-Benz, the large three-pointed star badging on the assertive grille, a curving roofline and flared wheel arches, a model with sporty aspirations comes clearly to mind.
But the sleek body shell does more than just please the eyes. It’s also functional with minimal air resistance and along with aerodynamic aids such as rear side “finlets” and adjustable grille lourves, it improves the car’s co-efficient of drag to 0.27 which is close to that of a hybrid car.
This blend of sporty looks with performance is the new design strategy that Mercedes-Benz is adopting for its compact vehicle range.
Choices of turbo-charged direct injection petrol and diesels ranging from 136bhp to 211bhp and 250Nm to 350Nm of torque endow the new upstart with driving enjoyment and become the new player in the hothatch segment long dominated by the likes from Munich, Wolfsburg and Ingolstadt.
Upon our arrival at the airport of Slovenia’s capital Ljubljana, a fleet of A Class in red, silver, blue, white and grey was on standby for our picking.
We got the flagship petrol variant, the A250 BlueEfficiency in AMG Sport trimming with a 2.0-litre turbocharged direct injection engine featuring 211bhp and a whopping 350Nm of torque as well as a newly developed seven-speed 7G-DCT dual clutch transmission.
Though it is currently the smallest Mercedes-Benz production model, the A Class does not lack front and rear head/legroom for five average-sized Asians to travel in comfort.
The boot space is 341 litres or good for two cabin-size bags and a couple of rucksacks thrown in. The hold increases to 1,157 litres if the rear seat backrests are folded down.
Liberal doses of soft touch materials with metallic trimmings, red-thread stitching, “carbon fibre”-effect dashboard panelling and multi-function steering wheel with flat bottom bring out the sporty feel in the A250.
Even for an entry level vehicle, dashboard build quality, fit and finishing do not stray from the rock solid feel of bigger Mercs.
At the centre is a large free-standing screen monitor which displays vehicle and infotainment information besides acting as monitor for satellite navigation and reverse camera.
The A250 even gets some styling cues from the SLS AMG, in this case. the circular air vents in metallic trimmings.
With a lively engine with plenty of low- and mid-end torque, smooth take offs are easy with the A250 even with three persons on board. Mercedes-Benz says the A250 can do the 0-100kph sprint in 6.6 seconds and has a top speed of 240kph.
Speeds of 150kph can be reached effortlessly on Slovenia’s A1 expressway during our drive from Ljubljana towards Portoroz in the western coast of the country.
Even when its suspension system is the fixed-rate type, the A250 still manages a good balance between comfortable ride and sporty handling along twisty trunk roads near Zemono town.
Its electric power steering is accurate and well-weighted to give good feel and sharp corners can be taken with confidence and gusto.
Gearshifts from the dual clutch transmission are quick and smooth. According to Mercedes-Benz, the software for the transmission comes from the SLS AMG’s high performance dual clutch unit, with tweaking to cater to the A Class’ lower engine power and lighter weight.
That’s not all. The A Class also gets goodies that are standard items in bigger Mercedes-Benz models such as the gearshifter lever located on the steering column like in the S Class model.
Other big Merc features are the Distronic Plus active cruise control, Blind Spot Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Attention Assist drowsiness detection, Speed Limit Assist which recognises speed limit signs and Pre-Safe crash anticipatory occupant protection system.
The newly-developed Collision Prevention Assist uses a radar system to gauge a safe distance to the vehicle ahead and warns the driver to slow down if he is too close.
The warning beep comes ahead of a two-second time gap before an impact is expected, so the driver can either slam on the brakes or steer the car away from harm’s way.
Collision Prevention Assist also charges up the brakes so that car applies more braking force instantly even if you had not stomped on the brake pedal hard enough.
After a day’s fun with the A250 variant, we were offered the turbodiesel A200 CDI BlueEfficiency to try out even though this version is unlikely to be offered for sale in Malaysia until the local diesel quality has reached a standard deemed suitable for clean diesels.
Despite producing less power at 136bhp or 75 horses less than the A250, the A200 CDI manages an enjoyable drive with enough gusto to please most enthusiasts.
It’s 1.8-litre tubodiesel takes 9.2 seconds to do the 0-100kph charge and levels out at 210kph.
In addition to the regular variants, the A Class is available in the A250 “engineered by AMG” which features lowered sports suspension, perforated front brake dics, modified electronic stability programme that intervenes at a later stage, “diamond” grille, enhanced engine tuning, sportier exhaust note and a rear suspension that is tuned to slip mildly.
However, there is also an more extreme AMG version in the works now called the A 45 AMG that will come with an all-wheel drive system and highly-tuned 2.0-litre turbocharged engine with plenty of punch.
Mercedes-Benz Malaysia hinted that the A Class would make its appearance on Malaysian roads mid-next year.