What's all this about?

The Mercedes A-Class 'W176' third-generation is due a facelift, and here it is.

Is it? Looks the same to me.

It is pretty mild stuff all round, mainly incorporating revised light clusters, a subtly different grille - with just solitary bars running to either side of the three-pointed star nose emblem - neatly integrated exhaust tailpipes and some new colours, including a striking metallic green. The interior includes a new twin-tube instrument cluster, some comfier front seats, an eight-inch infotainment screen on the dashboard and fresh trims, finishes and colours. From early 2016, the A-Class will also sport Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink technology.

So it's a range of new engines, right?

Um, again no, not really. They're largely familiar from before, with the restructured Mercedes badging taking effect (so there are no CDIs any more). There's an A 180 d with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine, the A 200 d and A 220 d with the 2.1-litre lump, two 1.6 petrols (the A 180 and A 200) and two 2.0 petrols, the A 250 AMG and the Mercedes-AMG A 45. The 4Matic four-wheel drive system is either available or standard fit on models including and above the A 220 d; a seven-speed dual-clutch DCT automatic gearbox is an option almost range-wide, while the A 220 d, A 250 AMG and A 45 all receive power updates - the first two of just 7hp, to 177- and 218hp respectively. But the A 45, presumably in the wake of the Audi RS 3 Sportback, has been boosted from 360hp/450Nm to 381hp/475Nm, to make it the quickest über-hatch once more.

What are its figures? And the rest of the range, for that matter?

The A 45 can do 0-62mph in 4.2 seconds and goes on to 155mph, while at the other end of the performance scale the A 180 d takes 11.3 seconds to get to 62mph from rest and tops out at 118mph. However, the 109hp/260Nm 1.5 diesel is the eco-champ, naturally, emitting just 89g/km CO₂ and achieving 80.7mpg. The A 45 guzzles fuel at a rate of 40.9mpg while spewing out 162g/km CO₂.

Is there anything of significant note, then, or is this just a tweaking exercise?

Well, the best news is that adaptive damping is now an option in the upper reaches of the A-Class range. It has a simple and effective pair of modes, which are Comfort and Sport. We've actually sampled the ride quality, admittedly in a simulated environment at Merc's Sindelfingen R&D centre, and we can say that the revised A-Class should traverse a shoddy road a whole lot better than its predecessor. This is good news.

Anything else to add?

Formula 1 fans might wish to get hold of the special Motorsport Edition, which is bedecked in petrol green signature flourishes outside and in to pay homage to the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team. It's essentially a styling package for the A 220 d and A 250 AMG models.