Jonathan Lopez wrote:The hot-rod A-Class, known as the A 45 AMG, has been around since 2013, and overall, it’s been quite good. This year, the car receives an update, and Mercedes left nothing to chance in catapulting the five-door to the top of the pile, infusing it with aerodynamic updates, state-of-the-art performance technology, and an absurd amount of power.
Exterior:
The A 45 AMG may share most of the same visual cues as the normal A-Class, but I’m okay with that. The base model boasts excellent proportions and sporty styling, with a front end that’s chunky and a profile that curves nicely around a gently sloped roofline.
Around back, you’ll find hatch access that’s low and wide, with dual-exhaust tips flanked by faux vents.
However, to help differentiate the A 45 AMG from its more conservative A-Class counterpart, Mercedes is throwing a catalog of aerodynamics at it, adding a good deal of visual flair in the process.
The new front bumper design draws inspiration from motorsport, offering features normally associated with high downforce, including a three-dimensional A-wing, canards on both flanks and enlarged intakes.
Above this you’ll find standard LED headlamps with “eyebrow” daytime running lights.
The back is also decked out with a rear diffuser and a large spoiler mounted to the trailing roof edge.
Mercedes says all these enhancements aren’t just for show – they really do provide increased handling stability and balance.
Interior:
The interior of the A 45 AMG is all about reminding its occupants of the prodigious power output at the driver’s disposal. That means sheet upon sheet of carbon-fiber overlay on the dash and behind the gauge cluster. There’s also a grippy, multifunction sport steering wheel with a flat bottom, perforated leather, and red contrasting stitching.
As expected, the seats are well bolstered, and feature seat cushion depth adjustments as standard to fit a wider range of body sizes. Leather upholstery covers most surfaces.
The air vents are adorned with brushed metal and contrasting colors, and up front and center sits a good-sized navigation display screen.
It’s high-end build quality in a machine designed to be more affordable than the usual AMG suspects.
For infotainment, customers can opt for Comand Online with a WLAN module that offers extended functions like smartphone integration through Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink. Autonomous features include Collision Prevention Assist Plus, Traffic Sign Assist, and Attention Assist.
Drivetrain:
Audi’s attempt at bringing superior firepower to the hot-hatch segment with the 367-horsepower RS3 was short-lived, as it seems like those AMG guys take this whole “most powerful” thing pretty seriously. The old A 45 AMG brought 360 horsepower to the party, but to best Audi, Mercedes Mercedes endowed the new model’s turbocharged four-cylinder engine with a stout 381 horsepower. That’s an impressive 191 horsepower per liter, which allows Merc to once again claim the top spot.
Max torque comes in at 350 pound-feet. This outrageous amount of muscle squirts the A 45 AMG to 62 mph in 4.2 seconds, almost half a second quicker than the last model. Max traction is provided by the standard all-wheel drive, which ranges between FWD-only and a 50:50 front-to-back power distribution split.
Despite the increased output, the powerplant is still as green as before, consuming just 6.9 liters of fuel every 100 km (or the equivalent of a little over 34 mpg). CO2 emissions are 162 g/km.
Mercedes says the folks at AMG achieved this mainly through a newly configured valve assembly. The combustion cycle was optimized with reconfigured timing and turbocharging, while max boost pressure stays at 1.8 bar (26.1 psi).
The exhaust system comes with an automatically controlled flange as standard, allowing the driver to select the preferred exhaust note at the touch of a button. This corresponds to a slew of different driving modes, a feature pulled from the 2016 Mercedes-AMG GT and 2015 Mercedes-AMG C 63.
It’s called Dynamic Select, and it allows the driver the choose between “Comfort,” “Sport,” “Sport+” and “Individual” modes that alter things like engine noise, gear changes, throttle response and traction control. The only mode of the four that requires explanation is the Individual mode, which can be preprogrammed with a variety of customized settings. There’s also a “sailing” function that saves fuel in conjunction with the ECO start/stop system.
To up the ante, Mercedes is offering a new optional package called AMG Dynamic Plus, which throws in several motorsport-inspired goodies. For example, there’s a newly developed mechanical front-axle locking differential, which significantly improves traction out of corners and should help to minimize power-on understeer. The package also includes the AMG Ride Control sport suspension, which offers fully automatic damping that adapts to the given road conditions. The driver can also preselect basic damping characteristics in two stages for a custom ride.
Anyone looking to get just the adaptive suspension without the entire Dynamic Plus Package can select it as an individual option. Finally, the package also adds a fifth drive setting called “Race.” You can guess what that one’s for.
Speed-sensitive steering is another included electronic performance enhancer. This is automatically adjusted depending on which damper setting the driver has selected, either offering sharp response and a taut feel, or more relaxed input characteristics.
The gearbox also sees a refresh. The AMG DCT 7-speed sport transmission now comes with lower ratios, with a shorter 3rd and 7th gear for quicker acceleration.
DRIVETRAIN SPECIFICATIONS
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Number of cylinders/arrangement 4 in-line Displacement (cc) 1,991 Rated output 381 HP @ 6,000 RPM Rated torque 350 LB-FT @ 2,250-5,000 RPM Combined fuel consumption from (l/100 km) 6.9 Combined CO2 emissions from (g/km) 162 Acceleration 0-100 km/h (s) 4.2 Top speed (km/h) 250
