It is the smallest AMG with the extremely powerful two-litre, four-cylinder petrol mill in the world that gives prodigious outputs. It beats all the sporty hatchbacks in its class in terms of performance. Arguably, the A45 S 4Matic+ is performance-hatchback par excellence while that mill is a triumph of Mercedes’ “One Man, One Engine”. For the first time ever, Mercedes-Benz has brought this hottest hatch to India as a completely built unit, and therefore it costs the earth - Rs 79.50 lakh, ex-showroom. Now, let us find out more about the sportiest Merc.

Engine and transmission

Here is the crown jewel of the A45 S: a 1,991cc, inline, four-cylinder, twin-scroll turbocharged petrol motor mated to an AMG Speedshift dual-clutch eight-speed transmission. This fire breathing combustion engine develops insane power, more precisely, a whopping 416bhp that peaks at 6,750rpm and a mighty 500Nm of torque that comes between 5,000 and 5,250rpm. Mercedes-Benz has used roller bearing in the turbocharger to maximise the responsiveness at low rpm and provide more power at higher engine speeds.

In addition, the hot hatch comes equipped with the highly sophisticated fully-variable 4Matic+ all-wheel-drive system, along with AMG torque control. Interestingly, Mercedes-Benz also offers a drift mode in the A45 S to let you pull some doughnuts in the world’s most powerful hatchback.

With the AMG equipment and the hand-made engine, the souped-up A45 S is able to achieve a 0 to 100kmph time in just 3.9 seconds, and it can continue to climb at triple-digit speeds until 270kmph. Meanwhile, to learn about this Merc, please do read our AMG A45 S drive review.

Design

To begin with, AMG has reinforced the A45 S by adding an aluminium plate underneath the engine, strut braces and underbody diagonal struts. Mercedes-Benz says that the reinforcement enhances the stability and handling at higher speeds while minimising movements at the hatchback’s front end.

Coming to the design, the A45 S gets all the AMG elements that you usually see in the top-of-the-line sporty Mercs. This smallest AMG sticks out a mile thanks to the Pan-Americana style grille, straight edge headlamps, powerdoms on the bonnet and unique bumper. The set of 19-inch dark wheels, elongated spoiler and the rear diffuser with quad exhaust pipes give the edge to it. Everything combined with the flashy Sun Yellow adds a touch of class to the A45 S.

Interior

The cockpit of the A45 S wears a combination of Dinamica microfibre and Artico synthetic leather. Additionally, the exterior colour inserts adorn the seats. Being an AMG, Mercedes-Benz has given special attention to the interior by providing the AMG steering wheel and AMG sports seats.

Features

The A45 S gets all the bells and whistles such as a 12-speaker, 590-watt Burmester sound system, blind-spot assist, active lane-keeping assist, AMG performance braking system, AMG track pace (AMG menu in MBUX), AMG performance package, launch control, six driving modes, AMG suspension, AMG exhaust system, three-stage electronic stability program, dual-zone temperature control, two 10.25-inch displays and 64 colours of ambient lighting.

Pictures by Kapil Angane