The new Mercedes-AMG A45 has the same power for more money
The world’s most powerful hot hatch is surely now confirmed as the world’s most expensive hot hatch. The recently facelifted AMG A45 – all 421PS (314kW) of it – will set you back £63,140, almost £3,000 more than the same model a few months ago.
The hotshot’s almost-as-quick brother, the AMG A35, gets a £2,500 hike to take it to £45,930, but this is the more substantially revised of the pair, with the introduction of a 48-volt mild-hybrid system to boost the four-cylinder engine from low revs.
For the all-conquering AMG A45 it is mostly business as usual, the facelift upping the showroom appeal and tally of standard kit rather than changing anything mechanical.
So it’s still the all-wheel-drive, 2.0-litre turbo four-pot-powered five-door tearaway of old, but now a little sharper looking outside with stronger AMG identity. Thank new lights, revised front apron, bigger new grille and new AMG badging (in place of the three-pointed star) for that.
Extra standard kit for the A45 comprises an AMG Performance steering wheel, the latest MBUX infotainment system and 10.25-inch driver display, the AMG Track Pace data logger and a new sage grey upholstery colour. Is it £3,000 worth? You decide.
For more than £17,000 less than the hero hatch you can get the also facelifted AMG A35 which benefits from the same round of stylistic and equipment upgrades.
It’s also all-wheel-drive and available as either hatch or saloon, it has the same turbo four-pot but with less power: 306PS (228kW) with 400Nm (295kW) of torque. Like the cooking A-Class models, it gets a 10kW boost when pulling away thanks to a separately powered belt-driven starter-generator. The A35 hatch gets from 0-62mph in 4.7 seconds against the A45’s 3.9 seconds.
All the facelifted models are in showrooms now.
Mercedes-AMG
A45
A45S
A35
A-Class
