Mercedes A Class Facelift globally unveiled

The A-Class is the perfect stepping stone into the world of the Three-Pointed Star. The most affordable Mercedes on offer, just got a refresh. A new A220d 4MATIC makes it’s way into the A-Class portfolio and the mental A45 AMG just got quicker!

“2012 was a year of paradigm change in the compact class. The new A-Class was a radical departure from the preceding series. And a successful one: as the most progressive model in the compact class, the model series has done much to make the Mercedes-Benz brand more youthful. With this model facelift we are now meeting the wishes of many customers for even more comfort with no loss of dynamic performance," says Ola Källenius, member of the Daimler AG Board of Management responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Marketing & Sales.

The compact hatch retains it’s tiny proportions and the upgrades to exterior are minimalistic. It would take a keen eye to even notice the changes at a glance. The front sports a reworked bumper which resembles the A-Class concept showcased in 2011. The Merc also gets optional all LED headlamps and redesigned tail-lamps. A new rear bumper with integrated exhaust pipes complete the upgrade to the exterior.

The interiors remain nearly identical to the outgoing version, with the difference being an upgraded instrument cluster, galvanised switches and the new screen (8 inch) screen for the infotainment system. Speaking of infotainment, the new-generation A-Class will be the first Mercedes-Benz model to be available with comprehensive smartphone integration: from the beginning of 2016 the infotainment systems Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink will become available.

Following engine options are available on the A Class.

Currently, only the A200d and the A180 petrol are available in India. It would be interesting to see whether Mercedes debuts the A220d/A250 or even better, the A45 AMG in the Indian market.

Motorsport Edition

A special “Motorsport Edition” shall be available for the  A-Class (upwards of the A220d) which Mercedes believe will appeal to Formula 1 fans. Carrying over the theme from the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team, the Motorsport Edition petrol green accents on both the bumpers, the rim of the AMG wheels and the edges of the spoiler. Similar petrol green accents can be seen on the interiors as well, with the stitching and seat-belts wearing the F1 team colors.

A45 4MATIC

The AMG avatar of the baby Mercedes just got a lot faster! It does a 0-100 dash in 4.2 seconds, a full 0.4 seconds quicker compared to the outgoing version. All of this is courtesy The revised gear ratios, aerodynamic fine-tuning and the new Dynamic Select driving modes. The driving modes are "Comfort", "Sport", "Sport +" and "Individual", which are standard on the Mercedes-AMG GT and the C63 AMG. Ticking the AMG Dynamic Plus package gets you a mechanical front axle locking differential, the AMG Ride Control sport suspension and the fifth driving mode "Race".

Talking about the world’s most powerful compact sports car, Tobias Moers, Chairman of Mercedes-AMG GmbH said "We never rest on our laurels, but constantly strive to develop our products further.The A 45 still had so much improvement potential that we felt compelled to realise it to the full. Our brand claim simply obliges us to."  

While the new generation A-Class will be available on order from July, 2015 in international markets, it remains to be seen when the facelift makes its way to Indian shores. The newly inaugurated assembly line at Chakan might prove instrumental in keeping prices low for this hatchback. Mercedes currently produces the GLA crossover at the assembly line.

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