Mercedes to launch the A45 AMG hot hatch in India

Mercedes Benz is looking to add another vehicle to their AMG range of vehicles which is, the AMG A 45. This did surprise me though, I believed that the A Class hatchback and CLA sedan were done and dusted in India, and they would be being replaced by the A Class Limousine. And, I was right to believe this but it seems that Mercedes Benz would like to launch this sole niche performance hatchback in India.

The stinger with respect to this is that due to the Coronavirus crisis, there is no definite idea as to when would Mercedes Benz launch the vehicle in India. The hatchback is a bizarrely powerful vehicle, and it looks quite staggering as well, let me tell you a little about it.

The AMG A45’s powertrain

In international markets, the AMG A 45 is offered in 3 variants, AMG A 35 4Matic, AMG A 45 4Matic+ and AMG A 45 S 4Matic+. From these variants it is most likely that the Indian market would receive the top of the line Mercedes-AMG A 45 S 4Matic+ option, and it will land on our shores in the form of a completely built unit (CBU).

The performance hatch is powered by a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine which produces 415 ps and 500 Nm of torque. The engine mated to an 8 speed AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT (dual-clutch transmission). Now you may have thought to yourself, as did I that a relatively small engine like this couldn’t be very exciting, but my oh my is it fast. Thanks to this engine, the vehicle can accelerate from 0-100 in just 3.9 seconds, and the top of speed of the vehicle is capped at 270 km/hr (sans the electronic limitation, this vehicle could run significantly faster).

The exteriors and interiors of the AMG A 45

The AMG A 45 is quite a fire breathing demon when it comes to the performance, and the looks of the car are also quite suggestive of its abilIties. The front fascia of the hatch wears the Panamericana grille and in the centre of the grille sits the three point star moniker. Alongside the grille are the LED headlamps which house the ‘reverse L’ DRLs. As this is an AMG vehicle, the styling screams ‘speed and sportiness’. Some of the bits which make this vehicle significantly hotter is the AMG alloy wheels, a roof spoiler, and a rear diffuser which incorporates the sweet sounding quad exhaust system.

On the inside, expect the vehicle to sport the vastly popular single unit instrument cluster + infotainment display which looks like something from Star Trek. The cabin would be an all black one with yellow accents, and the flat bottom steering wheel would wear an exquisite Alcantara leather. MBUX and Mercedes Me connectivity would also be supported by this vehicle. On top of this, the vehicle will provide basic features such as automatic climate control, rear AC vents, ambient lightning, sport seats etc.

Carandbike were in a video conversation with Santosh Iyer who is the Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Mercedes-Benz India. During this conversation, Santosh said, “For AMGs we are committed. AMGs have a good demand and I think that’s again what I mentioned sometime back. The AMGs fly off the shelf. But we will bring it (AMG A 45) at the right time for sure, but not sure if it will be by the end of this year.” It is clear that there is no definite date as to when this vehicle will drop in our markets, but when it does it will have no rivals in India. Expect the vehicle to have a price tag north of 80 lakhs (ex-showroom).

Do read – Mercedes Benz launches the the third generation GLS at 99.90 lakhs

Do read – Mercedes Benz India’s aggressive launches to include A-class limo and GLA