Photo: CarPix
Next year will probably be a good one for Mercedes-Benz's “go-fast and sound good” arm for a couple of reasons.
First of all, in 2017 it will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Mercedes-AMG, even though the initial tuning and racing shop in Burgstall didn't go by this name back in 1967.
Second of all, 2017 is also the year when Mercedes-Benz will introduce an entirely new generation of engines, most of them featuring a mild-hybrid system to augment their power and fuel economy.
Rumors also say that Mercedes-AMG will also debut a hybrid hypercar to celebrate its anniversary, and if we put two and two together it will result in a not-that-surprising theory.
The second generation of the Mercedes-AMG A45 was recently spotted testing on public roads as a mule while being dressed with the body of a current model. Tobias Moers has long said that his engineers are becoming more and more interested in hybrid technology, so it shouldn't be a surprise if the 2019 A45 will become the first ever mainstream AMG to be (also) powered with the help of high voltage.
Don't think of it as full-hybrid AMG, though, because the next A45 is rumored to feature the same type of 48 V setup as the inline-six engines that are debuting on the 2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class facelift.
There will be some electricity involved, but the small electric motor that will augment the turbocharged four-cylinder will only connect to the crankshaft and a small capacitor instead of a big ol' lithium-ion battery. This translates into absolutely no electric-only range but also zero turbo lag and lower weight. Expect to see a non-AMG version of the new 2.0-liter next year, delivering around 272 PS in the S-Class W222 facelift.
Numbers-wise, we should see the 2019 A45 pass the 400 PS mark with ease, sent toward all four wheels via a seven-speed, dual clutch transmission. Considering the model is a little over two years away, it's no wonder that Mercedes-AMG engineers are currently testing the powerplant and chassis engulfed in the body of the current generation.
Second of all, 2017 is also the year when Mercedes-Benz will introduce an entirely new generation of engines, most of them featuring a mild-hybrid system to augment their power and fuel economy.
Rumors also say that Mercedes-AMG will also debut a hybrid hypercar to celebrate its anniversary, and if we put two and two together it will result in a not-that-surprising theory.
The second generation of the Mercedes-AMG A45 was recently spotted testing on public roads as a mule while being dressed with the body of a current model. Tobias Moers has long said that his engineers are becoming more and more interested in hybrid technology, so it shouldn't be a surprise if the 2019 A45 will become the first ever mainstream AMG to be (also) powered with the help of high voltage.
Don't think of it as full-hybrid AMG, though, because the next A45 is rumored to feature the same type of 48 V setup as the inline-six engines that are debuting on the 2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class facelift.
There will be some electricity involved, but the small electric motor that will augment the turbocharged four-cylinder will only connect to the crankshaft and a small capacitor instead of a big ol' lithium-ion battery. This translates into absolutely no electric-only range but also zero turbo lag and lower weight. Expect to see a non-AMG version of the new 2.0-liter next year, delivering around 272 PS in the S-Class W222 facelift.
Numbers-wise, we should see the 2019 A45 pass the 400 PS mark with ease, sent toward all four wheels via a seven-speed, dual clutch transmission. Considering the model is a little over two years away, it's no wonder that Mercedes-AMG engineers are currently testing the powerplant and chassis engulfed in the body of the current generation.
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