Countless months of spy photos are finally coming to an end as Mercedes unveils the A-Class facelift. Seen here in hatchback and sedan body styles, the compact luxury car plays a game of spotting the difference with its mid-cycle review. Slightly reworked headlights with optional LEDs flank a redesigned grille with tiny three-pointed stars. At the rear, the German premium brand installed a new diffuser and LED taillights as standard.
Four new wheel options have been added and these go up to 19 inches, including an AMG Line package with a gloss black multi-spoke design. Mercedes also offers a variety of fancy paint jobs from the Manufaktur catalog with matte and metallic finishes. Inside, the updated steering wheel is wrapped in standard Nappa leather while the center console receives some minor revisions. The latest MBUX continues to run with a seven-inch driver display that can be upgraded to a 10.25-inch diagonal to match the touchscreen.
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As for the oily bits, the petrol engines got the mild-hybrid treatment and come standard with seven- or eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmissions. 48V technology provides an additional 13 horsepower (10 kilowatts) at start-up. For the plug-in hybrid, the electric motor now delivers an additional 7 hp (5 kW) for a grand total of 107 hp (80 kW). Owners can recharge the battery with AC up to 11 kW or with DC at 22 kW, in which case it takes 25 minutes to charge from 10 to 80 percent.
Mercedes is also unveiling the AMG versions with the A35 available in sedan and saloon formats while the A45 S remains a five-door-only affair. The lesser of the two spicy models from Affalterbach receives styling changes that bring it closer to the top end. The AMG A35 gets a mild-hybrid system and switches to an eight-speed DCT replacing the previously used seven-speed transmission. Power remains unchanged, at 302 hp (225 kW) and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque.
The 2023 AMG A45 S gets a Street Style Edition with an assortment of visual upgrades. The limited-run version is painted in Mountain Gray Magno and gets an aerodynamic kit as well as new 19-inch matte black wheels with red brake calipers. You’ll notice the retro-flavored body decals as well as bright orange accents inside where aluminum trim elements are found.
The hot hatch continues with 416 hp (310 kW) and 500 Nm (369 lb-ft), but it’s no longer the most powerful four-cylinder engine installed in a production car. Mounted longitudinally in the new AMG C63, the same M139 generates 470 hp (350 kW) and 545 Nm (402 lb-ft). The lower version of the four-pot helps the AMG A45 S to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.9 seconds and top out at 168 mph (270 km/h). It will be interesting to see if there are plans to put the more powerful engine in the compact car, but we wouldn’t get too high hopes.
