As foundations go, the standard Mercedes A-Class’s cabin was always going to lend itself well to hot hatches. In terms of style appeal, the base architecture starts things off strongly: the same stepped dashboard top remains, as do the turbine-style air vents in the centre fascia and the large twin screens of the MBUX infotainment system. However, for the Mercedes-AMG A45 in full-fat AMG Plus specification, material quality has been suitably improved too.
Expansive sections of brushed aluminium now wrap their way around the tops of the doors and across the dash, their metallic surfaces contrasting smartly against the glossy black plastic panelling that surrounds the air vents and populates the centre console. In Plus-spec cars, genuine leather upholstery replaces the combination of microfibre and man-made Artico leather on the AMG Performance seats and door cards, while eye-catching sections of contrasting yellow panelling and stitching further heighten the car’s visual dose of athletic intent.
The seats themselves are pretty firm and position you a bit higher in the cabin than you might like, but their ample bolsters keep you snug and provide good support, while there is plenty of adjustability in the steering column.
Functionality is good, too. There are plenty of storage cubbies dotted around front and rear, and head and leg room in the back are decent enough, at 690mm and 930mm respectively. The 370-litre boot, meanwhile, is the same size as the standard A-Class’s and 35 litres larger than that of the Audi RS3 Sportback, its closest conceptual rival.
The 2023 facelift of the whole A-Class range brought two main changes. The first is the loss of the trackpad for the MBUX infotainment system. We’ll discuss what that does to the usability, but Mercedes hasn’t exactly made full use of the space that’s been freed up in the centre console. Instead, you just get a tray that’s slightly too small for most phones.
The other change is the introduction of the new-style AMG steering wheel, with its extra-chunky rim and touch-sensitive spokes. It feels good in the hands, but those haptic surfaces are easy to actuate by accident. On the A45, the wheel also sprouts two satellite pods that quickly let you switch drive modes and adjust individual parameters. Given that there really are a lot of modes that genuinely alter the car’s dynamic character, that change is quite welcome.
Multimedia system
Mercedes’ MBUX infotainment system remains as impressive as ever in its application in the A45 S. The sharp graphics and fluid responsiveness of both 10.25in displays are big draws here, as is the slick integration with the wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
With the 2023, the A-Class loses the trackpad mounted on the centre console, and the shallow tray that replaces it isn’t as useful. Then again, it was never quite as intuitive as the rotary dial you’ll find in some BMWs, and the touch-screen interface is very logical. More of a sticking point are the touch-sensitive surfaces on the steering wheel, whose input response can be frustratingly inconsistent.
In addition to having satellite navigation, phone integration and DAB radio, the S models get the AMG Track Pace app as standard. This lets drivers record lap times and analyse driving data. The MBUX Augmented Reality function can be used to project a circuit’s ideal racing line onto the head-up display, although we didn’t get the opportunity to test this feature for ourselves.