While trying to stay objective, it’s hard to argue against the facelifted A-Class being one of the most aesthetically pleasing premium small hatchbacks.

While the 1-Series has improved in the looks department thanks to its own facelift, the A-Class is still arguably the more dynamic-looking car.

There are of course other rivals worth considering, such as the Audi A3 (always a smart buy), the Volvo V40, the Lexus CT and most recently the Infiniti Q30.

Here’s the thing though. One of the most underrated aspects of a car is its ability to look great even when dealing with a lower spec model, which doesn’t have decent-sized wheels, or any aggressive optional styling. The 1-Series for example looks rather plain when sitting on lowly 16″ star-spoke alloys – which don’t cost anything extra for a reason.

The A-Class, on the other hand, has such a dynamic design, it can look almost as good on 16″ wheels as it does on these 18″ AMG Line alloys.

Speaking of AMG Line and this A200 version (shown in the video), on paper it’s a good-looking 156 PS car, that also makes use of its 250 Nm (184 lb-ft). It will hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in 8.1 seconds and max out at 224 km/h (139 mph) – which is more than decent for a near entry-level version.

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