The arrival of the 35 AMG versions for the A and CLA class gave Mercedes the space to unpack with the new 45 models. The brand has made full use of that space.
It was a no-brainer that the new generation A-class would come up with an AMG again, but when an A35 was introduced, some were a bit surprised. As part of the new AMG Sportline models (as a competitor of, for example, the S models from Audi) it had slightly less power than the outgoing 45. Was that strange? No of course not, a child could imagine that an A45 would follow, something a technician immediately admitted when asked during the dynamic launch of that A35. “And he’s getting fierce,” she promised. That promise has been fulfilled with the arrival of the A45 and CLA45 AMG. The 45 S models have a staggering 421 horsepower, a bizarre amount for a 2.0 engine: a record for a production model. The look with those four exhausts, fat wheels and gigantic air vents in the front bumper is already super thick, but if you check the optional AMG aerodynamics packages, you get a whole punch of black spoilers, wings and a huge open diffuser. Undoubtedly, black and matt gray will be ordered a lot, but a fierce color such as the Sunny Yellow of our test model is of course super good.
Ghost car
Step into the cockpit and marvel at the splendor, from beautiful leather and alcantara to the most extensive MBUX multimedia system with a gigantic head-up system. Not only can you set the clocks in front of you and the MBUX in the middle according to your choice, but the head-up display can also be arranged as desired. And not just with a speedometer and your navigation directions. No, hit a track and time your lap time, after which the car will project a ghost car into your HUD if desired. How cool is that. Because of all that pomp and circumstance you somehow do not expect razor-sharp handling characteristics. More a lot of power with good handling, as befits many AMGs. And the steering feel in the first few turns seems to confirm that. Good, but it could be more direct and it’s not like being in a Honda Civic Type R. Power is there: the (gigantic) turbo has to get up to speed, but then the block pulls through to the rev limiter, where the acceleration only increases. The block in the previous generation had a noticeably smaller power band. Linked to that engine is a brand new eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, specially developed for the new 45 models. In the brave driving modes he keeps the revs annoyingly low for too long, but switch to Sport and he is well on track, especially when you start playing pinball. And that’s not all. The chassis has capabilities that really surprised us.
Hardcore
Like the outgoing Ford Focus RS, Mercedes has put clutches on the rear axle that can send left or right power to get the car around the corner. This completely changes the balance of the car. Brake on a corner, turn in and hit the throttle. A normal hot hatchback will then have to balance on the edge of grip, because all the power goes to the front wheels. Even with a four-wheel drive VW Golf R sending some power to the rear and even pushing the butt a little bit, you don’t get the behavior of this CLA45 S. No disturbing effect whatsoever in your steering wheel as the tires grip the asphalt in a hardcore way that you do not expect with such a luxury car. Steam up fast flyovers and you’ll see why it pays for German brands to keep the autobahn in mind when developing their cars. The handling of the Mercedes is staggeringly good and this 45 undoubtedly continues where the previous generation left off.
Apart from the surplus of power of the S (421 versus 387 hp for the non-S), you get the sports steering wheel with the AMG Ridecontrol operation on the steering wheel and a whole bunch of extra AMG logos, sports pedals and beautiful interior details. The sports exhaust is standard. It sputters at gas, thunders under acceleration and produces a loud howl at higher revs that lingers and becomes louder when you look up the limiter. The sprint to 100 takes 4.3 seconds. That is fast, but certainly on the intermediate sprint the car is very fast if you keep the turbo on steam. With a Porsche 911, for example, you will have a lot of work to keep up with this luxury pocket rocket on a winding road. Its point-and-go mentality has been taken to the next level and the 45 is a demonstrable step higher than the CLA35 AMG, which is very reminiscent of the previous CLA45. But it is also allowed. All technology is not free and by default the 45 S already costs – hold on – € 100,000.
The capabilities of this Mercedes are truly otherworldly for this segment. The CLA45 S AMG succeeds with flying colors for what it should be. Whether you prefer this one or the A45 S depends on your taste. They drive almost the same, but the CLA looks a bit more mature, simply because it is not a hatchback.