Producing no shortage of pops and bangs, the brand new generation of the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 has been spied testing in Stuttgart.
The hot four-door coupe is one of several smaller AMG models powered by similar 2-liter turbo setups. Mercedes has already let slip quite a bit of information about this car and its sisters, allowing us to paint a complete picture.
Only a day ago, the A35 finally got a sedan version, which is sure to become popular in America. But the CLA 45 is different, both more powerful and exotic. This is like a four-door alternative to things like a Porsche Cayman or an Alpine A110.
Sure, the platform is FWD-based, but the new AWD system tuned by AMG engineers can shuffle power not only to the back but also to one rear wheel or another. The result, as you may have seen in the A45 presentation video, is drift mode similar to the Focus RS.
The design also lives up to the CLA name, a four-door coupe that finally looks aggressive enough, thanks to the enlarged air intake systems installed to feed the AMG engine. We've also got much lower suspension and a new quad exhaust system.
According to our information, the CLA 45 will be delivered in two stages of tune. The base one is said to have 387 HP (285 kW), while the more expensive CLA 45 S is expected to produce 421 HP (310 kW). Some markets might not even get both, and at the end of the day, this could be a way for Mercedes to make more money since well-equipped versions should easily pass the €80,000 mark.
In both cases, power will be delivered from a 2-liter turbo engine, which should have either another turbo or, more likely, an EQ Boost hybrid assistant to fill in the lag gaps. We expect this car to weigh around 1.6 tons and hit 100 km/h in about 4 seconds.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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