Mercedes A-Class facelift revealed – gets greener and more powerful

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The Mercedes A-Class has been given a facelift, with new trim options, cosmetic changes, greener engines and the A45 AMG gets 21bhp more.

The Mercedes A-Class changed in to a real little hatch when it arrived three years ago, and now its getting a few tweaks for the 2016 model year to keep it an appealing option.

Cosmetic changes include the Mercedes diamond grill across the range, a new front bumper, new tail lights, optional LED headlights and new back bumper with integrated tail pipes.

Inside, the new A-Class gets an updated Infotainment system with an (optional) 8″ screen – and proper smartphone integration with Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink on offer from early 2016 – updated switchgear, new upholstery and colour options and a new ambient lighting system.

But the biggest changes for the A-Class come under the skin, with the arrival of the A180d with the ‘green’ spec delivering emissions of just 89g/km and economy of 80.7mpg, just part of the improvements Mercedes bring to the latest A-Class. Elsewhere, the A220d now comes with an extra 7bhp, as does the petrol A250.

At the top of the A-Class range, the A 45 AMG comes in for even more power improvements, with an extra 21bhp (it now has 376bhp) getting it to 62mph in just 4.2 seconds, helped by shorter ratios on the 7-speed DCT ‘box too, despite which economy and emissions remain the same at 40.9mpg and 162g/km.

Also new is adaptive damping with three modes – Comfort, Sport and Eco – in an effort to make the A-Class more accommodating to the needs of drivers and passengers under different conditions, with the Sport setting offering sharper responses but with more comfort than before.

The familiar trim levels – SE, Sport, AMG Sport and Engineered by AMG – remain, but there’s a new ‘Motorsport Edition’ option – taking influence from Mercedes F1 exploits – offering green highlights on the interior trim, bumpers and parts of the alloys and is available on models from the A220d upwards (but not the A45).

Prices for the new Mercedes A-Class haven’t been revealed – despite it going on sale next Friday (3 July) – but it’s unlikely there will be much change from the current prices, starting at £20,715 and rising to £38,195. First customer cars are expected to arrive in September.