2019 Mercedes-AMG A45/A50 Spied Testing in Right-Hand-Drive

The new Mercedes naming system is confusing, to say the least, but this car is perhaps the only one with three possible designations. First, there's the unlikely event that it will still be called the Mercedes-AMG A45.

But media has also hinted at the A50 and A53 nameplates being used. We're leaning towards the latter, even though it's a little silly, because Mercedes needs some way to separate the vanilla AMG models from the good ones, and the number '3' gets the job done.

Partly due to new emissions regulations, but mainly because of the turbo lag, the A45 replacement is going to have an EQ boost mild hybrid system. Now, that could add a bit of weight, but it's going to set it apart from other hot hatchbacks as well.

The complexity of the system combined with space constraints under the hood of the hatch could be why Mercedes is testing a RHD prototype in Stuttgart, Germany. It's quite unusual for this to happen.

Some people are undoubtedly going to be displeased with the look of the new A50/A53. At least in this configuration, it doesn't have the crazy aero elements we associate with the car. Also, the round exhaust pipes make for an odd fit within the bumper, something shared with the CLS 53 model.

The saving grace is going to be the Panamericana grille, reserved for the AMG models that take performance seriously. Once revealed, the A50/A53 will compete with the Audi RS3 and not much else, since BMW will soon pull the plug on the M140i. Expect an interesting rivalry between the two 400 horsepower German cars.