MERCEDES-AMG A45
S Plus
HOT HATCHES HAVE been steadily growing hotter over the years, and the Mercedes-AMG A45 brought things to boiling point when it first arrived in 2013. Fast forward to today and, far from simmering down, the latest A45 is the most scorching, scintillating hot hatch you can buy.
It’s propelled by the most powerful four-cylinder car engine currently in production, with an astonishing 416bhp from 2.0 turbocharged litres. That’s all sent to the road via a quick-shifting eight-speed automatic gearbox and a clever four-wheel drive system, the result being a 0-62mph time of just 3.9sec – half a second quicker than the already rapid Volkswagen Golf R. Acceleration is relentless; the A45 surges towards the horizon as if pulled by elastic.
Admittedly, the A45’s closest rival, the Audi RS3, gives it a run for its money on the straights, but that car isn’t as much fun or as exciting through corners. From the A45’s ultra-precise steering to the dynamic way its four-wheel drive system shuffles the power around (it’s keener to send power rearwards to shoot the car out of tight corners), the A45 is a sharper, more engaging machine.