The hot hatch world has a new hero. Mercedes-Benz. Yes, Mercedes-Benz, the company known for ferrying around African dictators in its armoured S Class saloons is now chasing the well to do dudes who used to wear their baseball caps backwards. Or something.
The car up for discussion here is, of course, the A45 AMG, sitting atop the A Class range, and it brings with it the rather bold claim that it has the most powerful four cylinder production engine IN THE WORLD!
So what are its numbers? The 2.0 litre turbocharged four-pot—hand built by AMG no less—pumps out an impressive 265kW at 6000rpm, which is accompanied by a very healthy 450Nm of torque from 2250–5000rpm. Low-end torque is achieved in part thanks to the use of a twin scroll turbo.
Mercedes has followed the fashionable twin clutch tranny route and with the 7-speed AMG Speedshift DCT doing its thing the A45 can knock off 100km/h in 4.6 seconds. That sprint time is also helped, no doubt, by the 4matic all-wheel drive system. A more measured driving approach can result in fuel consumption of just 6.9l/100km, Mercedes claim. Also, the engine complies with EU6 emissions regulations which don’t come into force until 2017.
The A45 AMG does boast a beautiful set of numbers, it must be said.
Naturally, the A45 also boasts a heap of AMG goodies and technological wizardry thanks to the Mercedes-Benz boffins. We quite like the sound of “Momentary M mode”, which is not a BMW-inspired bit of kit as the name suggests, but rather it refers to the ability to use the steering-wheel mounted flappy paddles to manually change gears at any time; much like Volkswagen Group’s DSG transmissions.
The 4matic set up sounds pretty much like an improved version of the Haldex units found in the Audi S3 and Golf R. Mercedes say their system is up to 25% lighter than its rivals, but it still works in front-wheel drive mode until grip at the rear is required. On the basic reading below, the maximum torque sent to the rear axle is 50%.
Other highlights include a three-stage ESP system, AMG-tuned independent suspension (front and rear), 18″ alloys, a specially tuned exhaust system and a whole lot more from the AMG parts bin, of course.
The A45 AMG will debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month, going on sale in Europe a month later. In Australia we’ll have to wait until October and while $80,000 is the figure being bandied about on the interwebs, don’t be surprised if your real-world driveaway number starts with a nine, or maybe even a 10, if you tick too many options.
But the real question that needs answering is, just how will the A45 AMG stack up against the highly acclaimed BMW M135i?
