A race has been going on among the hot-hatch brigade. The majority of contenders are of a belief that 300-350bhp is enough to win them class honours, except that the bug in the ointment lies with Merc. Its previous generation AMG A-Class topped the power output charts, with a defibrillating 368bhp…but read the heading; the new version of the car (in either hatched, or booted bodies) can have, in S-form, no less than 53bhp more!
According to the Stuttgart firm’s team, it has completely redesigned the ‘AMG45’ models, from engine and transmission through the chassis, the elaborately constructed drivetrain to the body structure and, naturally, the design itself, all with a single goal: to raise vehicle dynamics and the sporty driving experience to a level previously unimaginable in the compact category. It is a convincing twin proposition, visible by elements from the shark-nose to the stylish tail, taking in aerodynamic fillets and flow-enhancing panels en-route.
‘Base’ variants feature 8.5J x 18.0-inch light alloy wheels in a 10-spoke design, aerodynamically optimised and painted in tantalum grey, clad in 245/40 section tyres. However, the S versions are equipped with 19.0-inch alternatives in a 5-twin-spoke design, possessing a width of 8.5 inches for the A 45 S 4MATIC+ and nine inches for the CLA 45 S 4MATIC+. Again, they are aero-optimised and painted in tantalum grey with a high-sheen finish, shod with 245/35 and 255/35 (CLA 45) tyres respectively.
Once past the dynamically charged interior (yellow highlighted for the S models), it is what lies beneath the bonnet that turns both versions into thinly masked supercars. The world's most potent turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine betters the output of the preceding unit in both power and torque terms. It is largely hand-built by AMG. However, by rotating the transverse unit through 180-degrees, thereby positioning the exhaust system adjacent to the cabin bulkhead, while the fuel injection system is way out front, a freer breathing engine results and it can carry high spin speed, up to its 7,200rpm redline. Even with all-wheel drive (a near essential for traction, complete with electro-mechanical torque-split that allows a ‘Drift’ mode) and driving through an 8-speed, twin-clutch, automated-manual gearbox, the cars will eclipse the 0-60mph blitz in a cool 3.6s, enough to give a Porsche 911 a fright.
Very few aspects of these models have escaped attention and they both stop with eye-popping severity thanks to large diameter discs clamped by race-bred callipers. The power steering is also faster reacting. The dampers (with optional three-stage control) provide a surprisingly comfortable but firm ride quality. However, the exhaust tone can also be changed from harmoniously discreet to race-car raucous at the depression of a switch and the application of sound flaps within the system. Up to SIX dynamic modes can be selected by the driver.