HOT HATCHES
1 MERCEDES-AMG A45
Our pick S Plus
List price £65,045 Best price £59,045 MPG 30.8 CO2 208g/km For Savage acceleration; immense grip; entertaining handling; quick-shifting automatic gearbox
Against Very expensive to buy; some hot hatches are comfier; infotainment controls could be easier to use
WHAT CAR? SAYS ★★★★★
YOU’LL HAVE NO need for an alarm clock if you own an A45, because you’ll want to wake up at the crack of dawn just so you can go for a blast in it. Not only is this 416bhp, four-wheel-drive rocketship absurdly rapid in a straight line, but it’s also agile and entertaining through corners.
Although it isn’t quite as civilised as the similar-priced Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, the A45 is barely any less practical or easy to live with than a regular A-Class. Bespoke features such as AMG sports seats, a flat-bottomed sports steering wheel and AMG-specific instruments simply add to the driving experience.