Mercedes Benz A45 Amg Acceleration

The launch of the all-new AMG A45 is going largely unnoticed, which is amazing when you consider it's the most powerful hot hatchback in the world right now with probably the best interior too. In case you haven't gotten your fill of 2-liter turbo awesomeness, here's the new A45 S model again, doing its sprints.

We believe that while six and eight-cylinder luxury car owners should feel a little sinful, a 2-liter turbo is almost guilt-free. This is probably the smallest road car you can have that still smacks your head into the restraint when accelerating.

The A45 S does so with extreme prejudice, thanks to the most power-dense engine out there, making 421 horsepower from only four cylinders plus 500 Nm of torque. Not since the days of the Evo X has an automaker gone this crazy with the output, but the A45 is no Mitsubishi.

One quick look at the interior will reveal what sets this apart from all its rivals: two screens that are as smart and bright as any iPad which turns the experience of driving into a digital game. Also, the layout of the dash is a cut above everything else right now. Of course, if you don't like hatchbacks, Mercedes can already sell you the same car as a coupe, the CLA 45 S. By next year, we could have the GLA and GLB equivalents too.

But the thing is you're paying €62,000 for the A45 S, about twice as much as a normal A-Class, and that's mostly due to the prestige of the AMG badge and the engineering they put into this car. Thank god this yellow paint is free!

Take the 4Matic+ AWD system, for example. It's a new setup with an electrically-controlled rear clutch that engages much faster than before. There's even a drift mode for it, though conditions aren't right for that here. The video below also shows it reaching 278 km/h, a bit higher than the limiter should allow.

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