Mercedes A45 AMG facelift spied

What, you thought AMG was just going to allow Audi to have the most powerful hot hatch?

What with all the recent discussion on the Ford Focus RS, Honda Civic Type R, Audi RS3 and BMW M135i, the Mercedes A45 AMG has been rather starved of attention. The statisticians amongst you will also have noticed the Audi has usurped the AMG as the most powerful hot hatch available. Bring on the facelift...

Presumably making quite a din here

These are the clearest pics yet of the updated A45, captured in Germany but not at the Nurburgring. Wonders will never cease. A power gain seems inevitable for the flagship A-Class to restore its position as the most powerful hatch, its 360hp now pipped by the RS3's 367. Autocar has suggested around 380hp, with the potential for more through an A45 S model, as with the C63 and GT. Of course these are only rumours at present, but let's see how quickly an S model appears if the Golf R400 makes production...

Expect a few styling updates too, creating more of a difference between the A45 and AMG Sport versions of the regular A-Class. Given where the disguise is applied here, it can probably be assumed the front end will change; a different grille and bumper seem likely.

There isn't a confirmed launch date for the revised A45 yet but a debut at the Frankfurt show seems almost certain given how it's prioritised by the German manufacturers. It should be on sale before the end of the year.