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Mercedes A-Class refresh includes crown-stealing 381-hp A45 AMG

We're sure the 362-horsepower Audi RS3 Sportback enjoyed its brief reign at the top of the hot-hatch horsepower charts. But now, Mercedes-Benz updated the A-Class so that it reclaims the throne, castle, and jewels: the Mercedes-AMG A45 4Matic comes with 381 hp from its turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, a significant bump of 36 hp, and 350 pound-feet of torque, an increase of 18 lb-ft. The seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox gets shorter ratios from third to seventh gears, so its 0-62 mile-per-hour time has dropped from 4.6 seconds to 4.2 seconds. The A45 gets a Dynamic Select system – driving modes controlled by a rotary knob – that comes standard with four modes: Comfort, Sport, Sport +, and Individual. Opt for the AMG Dynamic Plus package and you get a mechanical locking differential on the front axle, the two-stage AMG Ride Control sport suspension with adaptive damping, and a Race mode. Outside, additional aero aids are applied to the nipped-and-tucked bodywork changes made to the entire A-Class range. The spoiler lip under the new front bumper, rear roof spoiler, and rear diffuser, create more downforce than before. Inside, the new flat-bottomed steering wheel is joined by sport seats that allow bolster depth adjustment. And for all those upgrades, fuel economy has stayed the same at 6.9 liters per 100 kilometers on the European cycle. Even away from that tectonic shift, Mercedes made plenty of changes to the A-Class landscape. The new front bumper is said to be "more arrow-shaped," in homage to the the Concept A-Class from 2011, that stretches its look horizontally. LED headlights, standard on the A45, are optional here, and are paired with interior ambiance lighting. In back we get new taillights and some angular exhaust finishers laid into a diffuser-like insert, an alteration we're seeing across the entire Mercedes line-up. Inside, you'll find a redesigned instrument cluster with new graphics, higher-quality finishes on the switchgear, seats with adjustable bolster length, and new color options. Four driving modes are incorporated into the Dynamic Select system: Comfort, Sport, Eco, and Individual. The Eco mode has been tweaked to return even more fuel savings. This Mercedes is also the first to incorporate Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink for the non-iOs smartphoners.

Best car infotainment systems: From UConnect to MBUX, these are our favorites

Declaring one infotainment system the best over any other is an inherently subjective matter. You can look at quantitative testing for things like input response time and various screen load times, but ask a room full of people that have tried all car infotainment systems what their favorite is, and you’re likely to get a lot of different responses. For the most part, the various infotainment systems available all share a similar purpose. They aim to help the driver get where they're going with navigation, play their favorite tunes via all sorts of media playback options and allow folks to stay connected with others via phone connectivity. Of course, most go way beyond the basics these days and offer features like streaming services, in-car performance data and much more. Unique features are aplenty when you start diving through menus, but how they go about their most important tasks vary widely. Some of our editors prefer systems that are exclusively touch-based and chock full of boundary-pushing features. Others may prefer a back-to-basics non-touch system that is navigable via a scroll wheel. You can compare it to the phone operating system wars. Just like some prefer Android phones over iPhones, we all have our own opinions for what makes up the best infotainment interface. All that said, our combined experience tells us that a number of infotainment systems are at least better than the rest. WeÂ’ve narrowed it down to five total systems in their own subcategories that stand out to us. Read on below to see our picks, and feel free to make your own arguments in the comments. Best infotainment overall: UConnect 5, various Stellantis products Ram 1500 Uconnect Infotainment System Review If thereÂ’s one infotainment system that all of us agree is excellent, itÂ’s UConnect. It has numerous qualities that make it great, but above all else, UConnect is simple and straightforward to use. Ease of operation is one of the most (if not the single most) vital parts of any infotainment system interface. If youÂ’re expected to be able to tap away on a touchscreen while driving and still pay attention to the road, a complex infotainment system is going to remove your attention from the number one task at hand: driving. UConnect uses a simple interface that puts all of your key functions in a clearly-represented row on the bottom of the screen. Tap any of them, and it instantly pulls up that menu.

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