2020 Mercedes-AMG A45, CLA45 Debuts At Goodwood Festival Of Speed

• Will come with a base and a sportier ‘S’ variant.
• The 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged motor is available in two states of tune.
• Look properly sporty with flared wheel arches, side skirts, 18- and 19-inch alloy wheels and more.
• Expected to go on sale later in the year with an India launch unlikely before 2020.

After multiple teasers, spy shots and promotional campaigns, Mercedes-AMG has finally unveiled the A45 hatchback and it’s larger cousin, the CLA45. This time however, Mercedes will offer both the ‘45’ cars with a sportier ‘S’ variants that gets extra power and other features too. 

When it comes to the exterior, the A45 gets the AMG-specific radiator grille with a dozen vertical slats, flared wheel arches, side skirts and quad exhausts at the back to give it a sporty look. Other exterior highlights include an aggressive rear-end, and a roof-mounted  spoiler. The CLA45 also gets a similar look aside from a rear lip spoiler. And while the base variants get 18-inch, 10-spoke alloy wheels, the S models are fitted with 19-inch, 5-spoke wheels. Other highlights include a new performance brake package of 350mm front and 330mm rear discs, in combination with four-pot and one-pot calipers in the base variant.  The S variant on the other hand will get larger, 360mm front and 330mm rear discs, with red painted six-pot front and one-pot rear calipers.

Interior highlights include the large screen MBUX infotainment system, which, besides showing engine data, also lets you select driving modes. Aside from that, the A45 and CLA45 comes with a combination of black ARTICO man-made leather and DINAMICA microfiber upholstery. The ‘S’ trim gets yellow highlights on the upholstery, ambient lighting in the cabin, stainless steel pedals and more. The A45 also gets  a re-engineered steering rack with a variable ratio and two different software maps, depending on the driving mode. The steering rack itself is mounted on a new carrier, to increase precision according to Mercedes.

Get latest updates on
the automobile community

Login Now

The main highlight of the A45 and CLA45 comes under the hood. Both cars are now powered by the  newly developed ‘M139’ 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine. This motor, in the base trim, produces 387PS of power and 480Nm of torque while the more powerful ‘S’ variant delivers 422PS of power and 500Nm of torque. These figures make the A45 and CLA45 the most powerful four-cylinder production vehicles in the world. All engines are mated to an 8-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission and a 4Matic+ all-wheel-drive system.

The base A45 goes from 0-100kmph in 4 seconds flat whereas the ‘S’ trim will get you there in 3.9 seconds. The CLA45 is a tenth of a second slower in both trims due to its extra weight. The A45 can hit a capped top speed of 250kmph which can be increased to 270kmph if you opt for the AMG Driver’s Package. The CLA45 also hits the same top speed figures as the A45.

The A45 and CLA45 range also get six different driving modes to choose from- Slippery, Comfort, Sport, Sport +, Individual and RACE. These modes adjust various aspects of the car ranging from driver assists, torque figures to gear shift timings and cylinder compression.

The A45 is set to go on sale by the end of this year. Though prices haven’t been revealed yet, it is expected to come at a premium over the A35 which is currently priced at 47,796 euros (Rs 36.88 lakh) in Germany. The same is expected for the CLA45 that is currently priced at 51,705 euros (Rs 39.88 lakh) in Germany. Once launched, it is set to compete with the likes of the Audi RS3 and the Ford Focus RS among others. While there is no word on when the new A45 will hit our roads, we should expect some updates regarding the same by 2020.

Also Read:

• 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLB 7-Seater Compact SUV Revealed