Mercedes-AMG A 45 4MATIC
Agile and safe on country roads, ultra-dynamic on the racetrack: The Mercedes-Benz A 45 AMG presented in 2013 exceeded all expectations, and immediately captured the top position in its market. Nonetheless, this worldwide success is no reason for the sports car brand within Mercedes-Benz to rest on its laurels. On the contrary, for after extensive updating the Mercedes-AMG A 45 4MATIC now guarantees even more emotional appeal and driving pleasure. With a peak output of 280 kW and maximum torque of 475 Nm, the turbocharged AMG 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine once again comes top in the competitive line-up. The revised transmission ratios, aerodynamic fine-tuning and the new DYNAMIC SELECT driving modes familiar from the Mercedes-AMG GT raise performance to an even higher level. Driving dynamics can be further enhanced with optional extras in the guise of the AMG RIDE CONTROL sports suspension and the AMG DYNAMIC PLUS package.
The entry by Mercedes-AMG into the compact class, and therefore a completely new market segment, in 2013 was a brave move. But it has proved more than worthwhile: within a very short time the compact AMG models have been an impressive success story. The sporty and exciting driving experience plus an emotionally appealing design immediately impressed the dynamic and individualistic target group, and gained new customers for the sports car brand.
And Mercedes-AMG is still going full-throttle: “The A 45 still had so much potential that we felt compelled to realise it to the full. Our brand claim – Driving Performance – simply obliges us to,” says Florian Seidler, Co-CEO Mercedes-Benz South Africa & Executive Director Mercedes-Benz Cars.
Accordingly the development team at AMG carefully scrutinised every detail of this compact best-seller, whose designation Mercedes-AMG A 45 4MATIC follows the new nomenclature, and applied improvements wherever thorough examination found them to be appropriate for further increases in driving dynamics and enjoyment. The result is certainly impressive, and above all tangible when sitting at the sport steering wheel offering great grip: “Our Mercedes-AMG engineers have further refined our turbocharged four-cylinder to develop 280 kW and 475 Nm. This means that the Mercedes-AMG A 45 remains the world’s most powerful and dynamic compact sports model,” adds Seidler.
But that is not all. Modifications to the transmission, suspension, electronics, design and appointments have turned the compact sports model into a completely new car: In no other model in this class is true motor racing spirit so obvious as in the Mercedes-AMG A 45.
The power upgrade has lifted this extremely sporty compact into dimensions previously the province of higher vehicle classes: 100 km/h is already reached from a standstill in 4.2 seconds. This means that the new A 45 accelerates 0.4 seconds faster than its predecessor. At the same time, its exemplary fuel consumption has been kept at the level of the previous model: no other high-performance model in this class can match its NEDC fuel consumption from 6.9 litres per 100 kilometres (corresponds to 171 g/km CO2).
The data at a glance:
Displacement
1991
Bore x stroke
83.0 x 92.0
Output
280 kWat 6000 r/min
Peak torque
475 Nm at 2250-5000 r/min
Power-to-swept-volume ratio
141 kW
Fuel consumption
NEDC combined
7.3-6.9 l/100 km
CO2 emissions
171 g/km
Acceleration
0-100 km/h
4.2 sec
Top speed
250 km/h*
High torque, great flexibility and an emotional engine note
On the road the turbocharged AMG 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine thrills with extremely fast responses to accelerator movements, high torque, enormous flexibility and an emotional engine note. The exhaust system features an automatically controlled exhaust flap as standard. The intensity of the engine note changes according to the currently active AMG DYNAMIC SELECT driving mode. The sound has also been generally refined and perfected.
From the GT and C 63: the new AMG DYNAMIC SELECT driving modes
Already familiar from the Mercedes-AMG GT sports car and the top C-Class model, the Mercedes-AMG C 63, DYNAMIC SELECT now also allows the widest possible selection of driving dynamics in the Mercedes-AMG A 45. To this end the four modes of “Comfort”, “Sport”, “Sport +” and “Individual” are available for selection. The modes are selected using the AMG DYNAMIC SELECT Controller, and modify parameters such as the engine and transmission characteristics. The Controller is positioned in the centre console, behind the selector lever for the AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7-speed sports transmission.
“Comfort” mode allows consumption and comfort-oriented driving with a subdued engine note and gentle gearshifts. The ‘sailing’ function installed for the first time helps to save fuel by decoupling the engine from the powertrain as soon as the driver releases the accelerator within a speed range of 60 to 160 km/h. In Comfort mode the ECO start/stop function is also active, switching the engine off automatically whenever the vehicle stops for a longer period.
“Sport” mode emphasises agility and driving pleasure, with a sporty engine and transmission configuration. The sound of the turbocharged engine becomes more throaty. The ECO start/stop system and the sailing function are inactive.
In “Sport +” mode the power transmission reacts even more immediately. The shift strategy of the transmission is optimally modified for the needs of a very sporty driving style – including extremely short shift times, emotional double-declutching and faster responses to the accelerator. Partial cylinder suppression by means of a momentary and precisely defined retardation of ignition and injection under full throttle speeds up the gear changes, and is also audible to the driver.
Over and above the preconfigured modes, the “Individual” driving mode makes it possible to vary individual parameters for the engine, manual or automatic transmission mode and 3-stage ESP®.
All DYNAMIC SELECT modes are also visualised in the cockpit display. The driver sees a special icon and corresponding information in the central display of the AMG instrument cluster. A pop-up window also appears on the free-standing central display whenever the transmission mode is changed: depending on the mode, the animated Mercedes-AMG A 45 is shown with an appropriate graphic and colour presentation. While subdued shades of blue predominate in “Comfort”, the car is shown on a racetrack in “Race” mode (included with the optional DYNAMIC PLUS package or the AMG RIDE CONTROL sport suspension – including red/white kerbs.
