Photo: X-Tomi Design
According to our latest info, Mercedes pulled an elaborate ruse. The baby A-Class hot hatch will be called A40, and not A35, while the full-fat version with over 400 HP should wear the A53 name.
A bunch of interesting trademarks were filed a day ago in Canada. They suggest the real AMG models with special engines will have a number "3" at the end while the vanilla ones could end with "0."
Looking past the implications of a new alphanumeric naming system for AMG, yesterday's reveal of the 2019 A-Class sparked our curiosity. The car is not entirely what we and everybody else expected.
While the base engine is probably developed with Renault, its displacement is said to be 1.4 liters, not 1.3. Furthermore, in a bid to keep costs and weight down, base versions of the car will have a semi-rigid rear axle, diluting what it means to buy a premium Mercedes car.
The most powerful version to be made available this spring is the A 250 with a 2-liter turbo producing 224 HP. However, we know that a rival for the Golf R is also on its way, expected to have 300 HP and more.
That one will bridge the gap between the average A-Class range and the A45/A53. And what a gap that is! With the help of an electric motor filling in the gaps left by turbo lag, Mercedes was able to extract 200 HP or more per liter, resulting in a hyper hatch with performance once reserved for supercars.
This rendering by X-Tomi design gives us a hint as to what that hatch might look like. It has lowered suspension, 20-inch wheels, excellent brakes and extra aero. The front end seems to borrow heavily from the E63 sedan, while a significant wing dominates the rear.
It's not precisely a pretty-looking car, but then neither are the M140i or RS3. It's just that we see them through rose-colored glasses.
Looking past the implications of a new alphanumeric naming system for AMG, yesterday's reveal of the 2019 A-Class sparked our curiosity. The car is not entirely what we and everybody else expected.
While the base engine is probably developed with Renault, its displacement is said to be 1.4 liters, not 1.3. Furthermore, in a bid to keep costs and weight down, base versions of the car will have a semi-rigid rear axle, diluting what it means to buy a premium Mercedes car.
The most powerful version to be made available this spring is the A 250 with a 2-liter turbo producing 224 HP. However, we know that a rival for the Golf R is also on its way, expected to have 300 HP and more.
That one will bridge the gap between the average A-Class range and the A45/A53. And what a gap that is! With the help of an electric motor filling in the gaps left by turbo lag, Mercedes was able to extract 200 HP or more per liter, resulting in a hyper hatch with performance once reserved for supercars.
This rendering by X-Tomi design gives us a hint as to what that hatch might look like. It has lowered suspension, 20-inch wheels, excellent brakes and extra aero. The front end seems to borrow heavily from the E63 sedan, while a significant wing dominates the rear.
It's not precisely a pretty-looking car, but then neither are the M140i or RS3. It's just that we see them through rose-colored glasses.
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