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With so many Mercedes-Benz AMG models floating around the market at the moment, it would have been easy to forget that the German giant doesn’t have a direct competitor to the Audi RS3 hatch or the BMW M135i. That’s where the new A45 AMG is said to step in. Pinned to be the most affordable AMG on sale, the A45 AMG aims to not only compete with the aforementioned BMW and Audi models, but to completely annihilate them with its performance capabilities. The A45 AMG has actually been in development for the better part of two years, and, after spying it in many times, the first official details on the car are finally here. It is the first high-performance vehicle Mercedes has ever offered in the compact class, and according to officials it will target the age range from 30 to mid-40. The new Mercedes A45 AMG will be making its world debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show and will be put on sale in April. UPDATE 05/21/2013: Mercedes unveiled a new commercial for the new A45 AMG. Called "Apparition" the new ad is featuring features Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg riding the car. the ad is oddly similar to Toyota’s RAV4 ad, sans the high-performance hatchback, of course. Enjoy! Exterior  The difference between the new A45 AMG and a standard A-Class will be a more muscular appearance delivered by the former. Just like with any other AMG model, the new A45 AMG will feature a "twin blade" radiator grille and an AMG front apron painted in matte titanium grey. Better engine cooling is ensured by large air intakes placed on the car’s side, while the side sills are painted matte titanium grey. For the rear, Mercedes installed a rear apron with highlighted air outlet openings on the sides, a matte grey diffuser and, of course, the AMG sports exhaust system with two square, chrome-plated tailpipes. A final distinguishing feature is "TURBO AMG" lettering on the wing. Interior The interior will also include a mix of AMG features. Customers will enjoy a pair of sports seats offered in ARTICO manmade leather or DINAMICA microfiber with red contrasting top-stitching. There will also be a multifunction steering wheel with shift paddles, a dashboard trimmed in carbon fiber with five contrasting air vents in black/red and an AMG instrument cluster. Available options:
Drivetrain Under the hood, the new A45 AMG carries a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine that delivers a total of 360 horsepower and a peak torque of 331 pound-feet of torque, making it the most powerful four-cylinder engine out there. This amount of power is enough to sprint the car from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 4.6 seconds and up to a top speed of 155 mph; all this while delivering a fuel economy of 34 mpg. This engine has been equipped with a highly effective cooling system inspired by the SLS AMG. This system includes a large cooler section at the front level combined with an additional cooler in the wheel arch and a high-performance electric pump. There is also an AMG sports exhaust system with large pipe cross-sections and an automatically controlled exhaust flap that transforms the engine’s sound into pure music. The engine is mated to an AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7-speed sports transmission that helps sending the engine’s power to the all four wheels via to Mercedes performance-oriented AMG 4MATIC all-wheel drive system.
Suspensions and brakes Just like with any other AMG model, the new A45 AMG features a high-performance suspension system that combines a three-link front configuration with a four-link configuration at the rear. The front suspension ensures more stability in the corners and more precise and direct feedback from the road surface, while the rear one delivers maximum driving dynamics and control. The new A45 AMG will be offered with standard twin-spoke AMG light-alloy wheels, painted in titanium grey and fitted with 235/40R18 tires. Also included is an AMG high-performance braking system with ventilated and perforated brake discs all round in size 350 x 32 mm (13.77 x 1.25 inches) at the front and 330 x 22 mm (12.99 x 0.86 inches) at the rear. The model is also equipped with an electromechanical dual-pinion AMG speed-sensitive sports steering with AMG-specific, speed-dependent power assistance and a constant steering ratio (14.5: 1). PricesThe new Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG will make its world debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show and will be put on sale in April. Prices will be announced at a later date. Competitors The idea that Audi will add an RS3 model to its lineup came to us right after it unveiled the RS3 Sportback concept back in 2011. While all we have up to this point are simple speculations, it has been rumored that the RS3 will be powered by a turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine with an output of about 350 horsepower. This is a little bit less than the A45 AMG its true, but we have strong hopes that the RS3 will look a little bit more aggressive.  When BMW finally decided to offer a high-performance version for its 1-Series - aka the M135i - everyone was pretty excited, mainly because it was among the first models of this kind. As you can see, the two other major automakers have quickly learned that the market is prepared for a compact of monstrous proportions and prepared competitors for the M135i, even more powerful ones if we may add. The M135i is powered by a 3.0-liter straight-six-cylinder engine with M Performance TwinPower Turbo technology that delivers a total of 320 horsepower. However, you shouldn’t be fooled by the 40 fewer horsepower, because the M135i is also pretty fast: 0 to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds with a top speed of 155 mph. ConclusionWith its 360 horsepower, the new A45 AMG it is indeed the most powerful sports hatch on the market, but it surely isn’t the best looking one. Then again, if you consider it is also the most affordable AMG on sale it may enjoy an incredible success, but we’ll see if this will really happen in the upcoming months.  Very powerful
Quite fast for a sports hatch
Fully loaded
Not the best looking AMG out there
18 comments: Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG am i the only one who thinks those 7 speeds are too much? the gears will all be up-down-up-down again.
 Those figures are expected to be the most powerful vehicle produced by Mercedes. I hope that this Mercedes will be unveiled on the 2012 Paris auto show together with other Mercedes productions.
 The full detailed A45 AMG will be on the public in the next few weeks, that’s according to the main site of the Mercedes.
 Some information leak revealed that the A45 AMG would share the same engine with his Sedan brother. The A45 AMG’s exterior starts with an arrow-shaped fore section with the central Mercedes star in the radiator grille and larger air intakes included in the striking front apron that ensure reliable air flow through the large cooling modules. It certainly looks classy for this hatch.
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Posted on
10.25.2012 @ 19:45