Brabus Upgrades Mercedes A-Class A250 To Hot Hatch Status

One of the first tuners to take a crack at tweaking the fourth-generation Mercedes A-Class is unsurprisingly Brabus. The talented engineers based in Bottrop decided to work on the hottest version of the premium compact hatchback, excluding the AMG-badged A35 and the forthcoming A45. We're talking about the A250 available with either a standard front-wheel-drive layout or a grippy 4Matic setup.

The turbocharged 2.0-liter engine developed by Mercedes has been massaged to deliver an additional 46 horsepower and 59 pound-feet (80 Newton-meters) of torque, so now the four-cylinder unit pushes out a meaty 267 hp and 317 lb-ft (430 Nm). With the PowerXtra B 25 S performance kit in place, the A250 will go from zero to 62 mph (100 kph) in 5.9 seconds before topping out at an electronically governed 155 mph (250 kph).

There's more to Brabus' A-Class W177 tuning program than an upgraded engine as the feisty hatch has also gone through a series of visual changes. For those who like to show off, wheels up to 20 inches in size are available, as is a roof-mounted rear wing similar to some extent to the one installed by AMG on the recently launched A35.

Also at the back, those quad finishers belong to a new stainless steel exhaust system equipped with actively controlled flaps allowing the driver to choose the desired soundtrack. Interestingly, Brabus mentions the exhaust doesn't necessarily have to feature the look-at-me quad setup as those who prefer to keep a low profile can ask the tuner to hide the exhaust tips underneath the bumper like on the regular A250 / A250 4Matic. Should you want to go all out, there's also a diffuser further enhancing the A-Class' sporty vibe.

As with virtually all projects from Brabus, the car's already plush interior cabin can also be subjected to quite a few changes. There are numerous leather and Alcantara upholsteries to choose from, along with trinkets such as illuminated stainless steel scuff plates, aluminum pedals, and even velour floor mats.

As a final note, Brabus mentions it's already working on power upgrades for diesel-fueled versions of the A-Class.