Thanks to an extra 102bhp and 74lb ft over factory, the ‘A45 RS 525’ will cover the 0-62mph sprint in a quoted 3.4sec, sooner than even the £188,345 AMG GT R Pro. More impressive still is its ...

‘Back then we’d be in the latest hardcore grey import Impreza ... I bag the Mercedes-AMG A45 S for the journey up to Scotland and feel a little smug as Dickie gets comfortable in the left ...

We all love a big headline figure, and in a game of Top Trumps the Mercedes-AMG A45 is the best card to draw ... and has bespoke Green Hell Magno paint and black and yellow alloys wheels.

The cost option my test car wore was the 'Mountain Grey Metallic' paint ... Coming standard are the 19-inch matt black alloy wheels, the quad exhaust and chunky diffuser, Panamericana grille and AMG ...