THE mid-life facelift for Mercedes’ smallest model is mainly cosmetic, limited to the plastic bits at the front and rear to provide some modest differentiation, but the big news is the addition of a turbo-diesel model for the first time. The new five-door A180 CDI comes in at $39,900 – $2000 more than the equivalent A170 petrol-engined model – but has more power and much better fuel economy (5.2L/100km versus 6.9L/100km). Prices across the range increased by between $300 and $900, but for that you also get some useful extra features such as iPod integration, Bluetooth connectivity, a hill-hold function, leather-wrapped steering wheel and electric windows in the rear of the five-door models.