Mercedes has revealed prices and line-up for its all-new A-Class which goes on sale in December. With five model lines, the car starts at £18,495 rising to £24,520 for the AMG Sport version.

The new A-Class, which is drastically different in looks to its predecessor, launches in a competitive sector up against the likes of the BMW 1-Series, Volkwagen Golf and Audi A3.

For the petrol engines, there’s a 1.6-litre with 122hp and 156hp and a 2.0-litre 211hp while diesel offerings include a 1.5-litre 109hp unit and a 2.0-litre 136hp option.

The five trims, standard, SE, Sport, AMG and Engineered by AMG start with the entry-level A180 which gets comfort suspension, fabric upholstery and CD/radio with 5.8-inch colour display, MP3, WMA and AAC-compatibility, aux-in socket, USB and Bluetooth. Those vying for the top-of-the-range Engineered by AMG model will be rewarded with AMG sports suspension, 18-indh alloy wheels, privacy glass, bi-xenon headlights, red trim parts in the front and rear bumpers and red seat belts.

Mercedes has also paid close attention to safety with the A-Class, with ESP, adaptive brake and hill-start assist as standard. It also includes the radar based Collision Prevent Assist which can reduce the risk of nose-to-tail run-ins by alerting distracted drivers through visual and noise warning if it senses an accident is likely to happen. There’s also Attention Assist that monitors driver behavior and warns of signs of tiredness.