Video: Mercedes-AMG A45 facelift

You’re likely familiar with the concept of the automotive ‘facelift’ where manufacturers take existing models, and spruce them up with tweaks to the looks, performance, tech and suchlike to keep them fresh. Mercedes has just done this with the wider A-Class range but the AMG models haven’t been forgotten either, and here Rory grabs some wheeltime with the top of the range A45 S to see what’s changed.
We’ll try not to spoil the surprise on that, and instead look at what the A45 S is and where it stands in the hot hatch hierarchy. Short version? At or near the top, at least when it comes to horsepower, performance, price and prestige.

What is a hot hatch?

To put that into context the GTI version of the VW Golf remains the benchmark mid-size hot-hatch, putting its 245 horsepower to the road through the front wheels in the traditional fashion. The Hyundai i30 N is another classic of the genre, and if you act fast you may still be able to grab the still brilliant Ford Focus ST before it goes out of production. It’s faster and more expensive but the impressive Honda Civic Type R just about fits this category as well. Beyond these are 300 horsepower plus, all-wheel drive premium hot hatches like the VW Golf R, Audi S3, BMW M135i and the A45’s little brother, the A35. See how they compare in a previous head-to-head Rory filmed for the pre-facelift versions.

What counts as a super hatch?

Still not enough? Next we have the 400 horsepower plus, all-wheel drive super hatches, of which the Audi RS3 and this A45 S are the main contenders. While fundamentally similar on paper they each have their own distinct characters, the Audi by virtue of its warbly five-cylinder engine while the AMG has always stood out for the sheer ferocity of its performance. And its tyre-shredding drift mode. Does this new one move the game on, or is it business as usual? We’ll let Rory be the judge of that and, if you enjoyed the video, make sure you let him know by hitting like, adding your voice to the YouTube comments thread and subscribing to the channel for more!