A lot of people love the Mercedes-AMG CLA45. At the same time, a lot of other people don’t like it (hate’s a strong word, isn’t it?). Whichever side of the fence you’re on, there’s no denying that the AMG CLA45 is a car that’s ripe for an aftermarket program. Schmidt Revolution isn’t the biggest tuning name in the business, but it has developed a few humdingers over the years. Safe to say, the tuner knows what it’s doing, and that’s all coming to play with its new program for the AMG CLA45 that’s highlighted by an engine upgrade that gives the sedan a stout 400 horsepower.

The program as a whole is simple yet refined. That’s a good mix for a car that suffers from its own identity crisis, albeit through no fault of its own. Schmidt smartly went against overdoing the modifications in lieu of a more purposeful upgrade that gave the AMG CLA45 a consistent look to go with improved performance credentials.

The kit isn't going to set any speed records, but with the changes in place, it helps turn the AMG CLA45 become the kind of high-performance sedan that can live up to its AMG name.

Continue after the jump to read the full review.

Exterior

Exterior modifications are limited to a new set of 19-inch Gambit wheels shod in 235/35R19 rubber tires. The tuner had to be specific with the dimensions of the tires in order to match the 1.140 kg load capacity of the front axle. The result is a wheel-and-tire combo that pops out and complements the stylish body of the AMG CLA45.

Drivetrain

Continuing the subtle template of its program, Schmidt Revolution’s performance upgrade package for the AMG CLA45’s 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine revolves around a tuning software that squeezes out an extra 40 horses, adding up to a total of 400 horsepower. Improvements in torque weren’t announced but the tuner’s previous programs indicate that somewhere around a 30-pound-feet-of-torque upgrade is a good estimate.

Should that be the case, the Schmidt Revolution-tuned AMG CLA45 would be good for 400 horses and 361 pound-feet of torque, enough to cut its sprint to 60 mph to just a shade above four seconds to go with a top speed close to 180 mph.

Chassis and Suspension

The modifications on this end were made by Speedbox, which installed H&R springs to drop the AMG CLA45’s ride height by 0.98 inches on all four corners of the sports sedan.

Pricing

No details on pricing so as is the case in scenarios like this, it's best for customers to contact the tuner directly to get a direct price quote.

Competition

Mercedes-AMG CLA45 by Loewenstein

Given how small the AMG CLA45’s engine is, it’s an achievement in it of itself that tuners are able to coax anywhere close to 400 horsepower out of it. Such was the case when Loewenstein managed to squeeze out 410 horses and 391 pound-feet of torque from the AMG CLA45’s 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. The German tuner accomplished that thanks to a plug & play system that comes with its own digital processor. The upgrades don’t end there as Loewenstein also offered a new downpipe with a sport catalytic converter that added an extra 15 ponies and 8 pound-feet of twist, bringing the total up to 425 horsepower and 399 pound-feet of torque. The result is a meaner saloon that can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just four seconds to go with a top speed in the region of 180 mph.

Read more about the Mercedes-AMG CLA45 by Loewenstein here.

Conclusion

Expectations is the most important thing to remember about Schmidt Revolution’s program for the AMG CLA45. What I mean by that is don’t expect the stars and the moon with this kit because you’re not going to get it. What you should expect are the simple modifications in numerous areas of the sedan that, when pieced together, creates a better picture compared to the standard model. Minor tweaks here and there may sound insignificant in the big picture, but the German tuner managed to do just that and still create a more rounded AMG CLA45.