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Carsales Staff19 Jun 2015
NEWS

Leaked: AMG's upgraded 294kW A 45

Even mightier Mercedes-AMG hot hatch and facelifted A-Class emerge

Mercedes-AMG is about to crank its ferocious A 45 up another notch to reclaim the title of world's hottest hot hatch from the new Audi RS 3, if this leaked image is any indication.

Posted by Instagram user 'chrissagramola', this image – which looks like it was scanned from a magazine page – appears to show a more aggressive new front bumper and headlight design for the upcoming A 45 facelift.

The changes are consistent with earlier spy shots of the facelifted AMG A 45 we published in April as well as last October's spy pics of the revised A-Class on which it's based.

The timing of the leaked image is also consistent with what we understand is an imminent online reveal of the facelifted A-Class range ahead of its world debut in London next Friday (June 26), and its global public premiere at the Frankfurt motor show in September.

Of course, we can't guarantee for the legitimacy of either the image or information that accompanied it on Instagram, but the user's claim that two versions will be offered this time round – the standard 381ps (280kW) A 45 and a more potent 400ps (294kW) A 45 S – is backed up by the grainy text you can see in the image.

The S suffix is in line with AMG's move to use the nomenclature on the most powerful models, including the E 63 S, CLS 63 S and the upcoming C 63 S and GT S.

More importantly, if the numbers are accurate, the midlife makeover for AMG's wildest ever hatchback will see it neatly leapfrog the 270kW/465Nm RS 3 due on sale here in October to once again become the most powerful small car available.

The current A 45's 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four already packs a hefty 265kW/450Nm punch via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission to all four of its wheels – enough for Benz to claim a 0-100km/h time of just 4.6 seconds and an electronically-limited 170km/h top speed.

It was also enough for the first four-cylinder AMG to claim second in the inaugural annual motoring.com.au Australia's Best Driver's Car ahead of some of the finest performance cars on sale today and behind only Porsche's sublime Cayman GTS.

Indeed, until Audi produced its new RS 3, which allegedly hits 100km/h in just 4.3 seconds, the A 45 held the record as the industry's most powerful small production hatchback.

It's a mantle AMG is obviously keen to take back, and the result could be giant-killing 0-100km/h acceleration in as little as four seconds.

As we've reported, to extract even more power for its next generation of turbocharged four-cylinder models, Mercedes-AMG will adopt Formula One-style hybrid technology for its next all-new A 45, CLA 45 and GLA 45.

As these latest covert images of the mainstream 2016 A-Class suggest, there will be only minor exterior cosmetic changes for the model released in Australia little more than two years ago in February 2013 (the first A 45 followed six months later), including a new front bumper/grille and revised headlights and tail-lights.

The leaked image of the A 45, meantime, appears to show revised air inlets with gloss-black surrounds, which also grace the lower air-dam, and possibly a fresh upper grille and headlight graphics.

Clearly, however, there will be bigger changes under the bonnet of the small five-door hatch, which is likely to also bring less extensive interior trim and infotainment updates.

Unsurprisingly, Mercedes-Benz is keeping mum on release dates of the facelifted A-Class range until its global reveal next week, so it's unclear whether the upgraded versions of the German brand's smallest model will arrive here by the end of this year or not.

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Written byCarsales Staff
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