Mercedes A45 AMG: Geneva Motor Show 2013

The Mercedes A45 AMG – Mercedes first proper ‘Hot Hatch’ – has been revealed at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. On sale July 2013.

The makeover from regular A Class to A45 AMG is relatively subtle by hot hatch standards, but its enough, with its more aggressive body kit, big alloys, red callipers and tail pipes to make you realise the A45 means business.

That business is to take the fight to premium hot hatches from BMW and Audi, and with the world’s highest horsepower per litre engine in a production car under the bonnet – a 2.0 litre turbo with 355bhp and 332lb’ft of torque – the A45 can get to 62mph in 4.6 seconds.

But there will be no scrabbling of the front wheels as the A45 tries valiantly to put its impressive power down, as Mercedes has given the A45 AMG four wheel drive, with power going to all four wheels through Mercedes’ seven-speed dual-clutch auto ‘box, and it can split power equally between axles.

That should make for cracking grip and decent handling in a car that is, when you’re not blatting it blissfully down a country road, capable of 34mpg.

There’s a convincing case for picking the new A45 AMG over any of the competition (well, until we drive it we can’t be 100 per cent sure) even if it’s likely to cost close to £40k when it goes on sale in the UK in July.

By Cars UK