Mercedes-AMG A45 S Arrives In India As A Firecracking Hot Hatch At Rs 79.50 Lakh

• Paired with an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic and a 4Matic+ AWD, it can hit 0-100kmph in 3.9 seconds and has a top speed of 270kmph.

• Performance wizardry includes six driving modes, bigger brakes, and a re-engineered steering rack.

• Gets aggressive bumpers, a Panamericana front grille, a roof-mounted spoiler, 19-inch alloy wheels, and a quad exhaust setup.

• Cabin gets sporty front seats, stainless steel pedals, and driver-focused MBUX screens.

Mercedes-Benz has brought back the A-Class hatchback in firecracking style with the launch of the AMG A45 S hot hatch at a price tag of Rs 79.50 lakh (ex-showroom, India). Just because it's a hatchback, make no mistake on the hardcore feats it is capable of to make it one of the most powerful hot hatches in the country.

What makes the AMG A45 S ‘hot’ is undoubtedly its M139 2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine under the hood. With 421PS and 500Nm, it is claimed to be the world’s most powerful four-cylinder production vehicle. And courtesy the 8-speed dual-clutch automatic and 4Matic+ AWD, the 0-100kmph sprint can be done in a zippy 3.9 seconds, and the progress continues till a top whack of 270kmph.

The no frills fun continues with an AMG suspension setup that features a steering rack re-engineered with a variable ratio, and two different software maps, to help point the car through corners more precisely. Six driving modes to play with -- Slippery, Comfort, Sport, Sport+, Individual, and RACE -- fiddle around with aspects like driver assist, cylinder compression, torque figures, and gear and shift timings. There’s also a dedicated drift mode for those tail-happy enthusiasts. Stopping power is achieved by AMG-specific 360mm front and 330mm rear discs, with red painted six-pot front and one-pot rear calipers. 

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Performance aside, the AMG A45 S sure looks like a spicy hot hatch, featuring chunky bumpers with massive air intakes, an AMG-specific Panamericana front grille, a roof-mounted spoiler, racy 19-inch alloy wheels, and quad exhausts. It can be specced with up to seven paint options, with another two special options in the form of  Patagonia Red and Mountain Grey Magno.

The sporty quotient continues in the cabin,with AMG performance front seats in black ARTICO man-made leather and DINAMICA microfibre upholstery, as well as stainless steel pedals. While it retains the twin 10.25-inch MBUX displays, they’re now performance-focused, displaying engine data, lap time data and other telemetry. It can also act as your personal race engineer to specifically analyse your driving ability on a racetrack and suggest improvements via AMG Track Pace. Despite it’s driver-focused nature, there are creature comforts like the 12-speaker Burmester sound system.

At the moment, the Mercedes-AMG A45 S  has no direct rival in India and sits in a pretty niche position. And it’s not really a bad thing especially since you get the bragging rights of having one of the most powerful hot hatches in the country.