YOU can get bored using the same test routes week in and week out so when it was time to drive the new Mercedes A-Class I thought I would go further afield.

So I took a ferry to Belfast and then put the new A-Class through its paces on the lovely coastal roads of Antrim north of the city.

I had been on a Honda drive there a couple of years back and promised myself that I would return to explore the area more when I got the chance.

A drive in a new Mercedes seemed the perfect excuse and it turned out to be a good decision.

The stylish new A-Class is now the most affordable model to boast the famous three-pointed star and it is nothing like the car it replaces.

The old model was more of a compact MPV and its design has been ditched to make way for a regular five-door hatchback more able to compete with premium rivals like the Audi A3, BMW 1 Series and the new Volvo V40.

But with prices starting from £18,945, the Mercedes will also attract buyers from mainstream models like the Golf, Focus and Astra.

The sleek newcomer will tempt customers who were not excited by the last car's looks and it should help Mercedes win some younger followers.

The A-Class now has a low-slung look and the familiar star and two-bar grille is flanked by distinctive headlights and LED strips on high-spec models. Sharp creases and small windows combine to give the car a sporty profile and the rump also has a sporting look especially on the AMG Sport version I tried.

It also features a lowered suspension, handsome bodykit and nice 18-inch alloy wheels.

Inside the AMG Sport, which costs £26,855, is very well equipped and the dash is very stylish. The controls for climate control and entertainment are easy to use and the round air vents are nice looking as well as functional.

A large fixed iPad-style display dominates the centre consule and it works really well with the entertainment and navigation systems. The AMG Sport also gets red stitching on the steering wheel and carbon fibre-look dash trim to enhance its sporting credentials.

Front seat occupants travel in great comfort and it is easy to find a good driving position but space in the back is a little cramped, although no worse than most of its rivals.

The boot offers 341 litres of space and this can be increased to 1,157 litres if you collapse the rear seats.

Under the bonnet is a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol unit that punches out 208bhp and is good for 149mph. Thanks to its seven-speed automatic transmission it can sprint to 62mph in just 6.6 seconds.

It is surprisingly economical on fuel with a claimed combined figure of 45.6mpg and I got very close to that figure.

The ride is a little bit on the firm side and the handling perhaps not as sharp as its BMW rival but most customers will not care. The steering is precise and braking rapid but visibility is sometimes compromised by the small rear windows.

However, this car came with an astonishing £11,000 worth of extras - taking the asking price up to £37,800.

I think the new A-Class is a great addition to the Mercedes range but for me it makes most sense in the cheaper versions that will be responsible for the bulk of its sales.