Test Mercedes A 45 AMG, a date with the devil

Today I have a date. His name is Thomas Stutzbach. No, don't look because he is not someone you know, he is not someone to put a face on. In fact, I'm not even going to meet him in person. He is the one sign car engine that today I put to the test, the most powerful 2-liter 4-cylinder standard engine on the market. I test the Mercedes A 45 AMG.

I already mentioned it when I got my hands on the CLA 45 AMG, it is difficult, impossible, not to smile mischievously with the keys of an AMG in hand. But when it comes to the brand's first compact car, its sportier version, with all-wheel drive and 360 horses, that feeling is squared. As much as its price does, although it is the only one in the family that falls below 60.000 euros.

Discreet and sporty

I then find myself before the cheapest AMG. It is not a disgrace, on the contrary. I inspect a white bodywork that is very familiar to me, since the differences with a Class A with AMG package They are extremely discreet. The bumper has larger air intakes, the side skirts are specific and the rear will be the two tailpipes, each one divided in two, the ones that make us turn our heads.

The Mercedes A 45 AMG is as striking as any A-Class. The costume suits him, I think so, but of macarra has little. Of course, it is not an Edition 1, only suitable for the most daring. Something similar happens inside, and that is that any AMG package already offers you a level of sporty details typical of this car. With caveats.

Inside I find some beautiful AMG Performance backpacks, an option of more than 2.500 euros. The series seats are traced to those of a current AMG package, and already border on perfection. These do not really hold more, but the interior packaging is different. Now not only do we have a powerful car, but it also warns you that it is.

The rest of the details go through a sports leather steering wheel, a specific dashboard with speedometer tared up to more than 300 km/h, or a trim for the dashboard in imitation carbon fiber. Neither it is nor it seems, at least until you touch it, because it is soft. Here the stars do not slip us.

Lastly, the little joystick for change finish off the center console. The truth is that it is not functional because we cannot select the gears from there in sequential mode, only with the cams. Replacing it with simpler buttons would not hurt. But hey, the command is very nice.

Because AMG is more than just big engines

It's time to get behind the wheel and start the car. Are 4 cylinders and 2 liters supercharged with a power of 360 horsepower and 450 Nm of torque. Some call it heresy, just by looking at their numbers I can't help but remember a certain Lancer EVO. And honestly, I don't consider it heresy. Are they two different concepts? Well not so much.

I turn the key and… Vroooom. My goodness! How does this sound, right? They see my face of happiness and they tell me that he wears the optional AMG Performance exhaust. I don't give it much importance. I go out and I haven't even covered 500 meters yet, which, with my eyes wide open, I can say that this escape should not be an option, but a requirement. Can a street car really sound like this? I'll take it.

Just over 700 euros of optional element have already drawn me an indelible smile that can only grow as I squeeze my right foot. Interestingly in C mode the car shows completely domesticated. You know there's a bomb under the hood, but you can save it for those times when you need it. For everything else, you will have a very usable car on a day-to-day basis.

But a button with the inscription S It catches my attention and I press it. It could be called the AMG button, it deserves it. The exhaust now emits more noise, and not only that, but backfires at low, medium and high speeds. If you rush me, it backfires even at idle. And not something discreet, no. Here everyone finds out. Withholdings are exaggeratedly addictive.

But it's not over. I put the manual mode and play with the cams for a while. I rev up and down as I please, and every time I shift up a gear at higher revs, a dry and forceful backfire. Have I broken something? My schematics. I insist, can a street car really sound like that?

I pick up the pace and this marvel of motorized technique begins to flourish. Its supercharged character gives it a lower part of the rev counter somewhat lazy, but the middle and upper part are his preferred range. Honestly, despite its displacement, I hardly notice lag or lack of response.

And that's because your dual clutch gearbox He always urges us to take the car to its optimal point to step on the accelerator and literally get intimate with the backet. Also, in manual mode if you get to the cutoff, you get to the cutoff, no shifting to a higher gear if we don't ask. Acceleration is spectacular, taking only 4,6 seconds in the 0-100 km/h. And that, in part, is thanks to its launch control system and all-wheel drive.

It is not a permanent all-wheel drive, because under normal conditions the power is sent to the front axle. When there is loss of adhesion, you can send up to 50% of the force to the rear axle. And this is what makes the Mercedes A 45 AMG a tremendously effective car. Some say it's no fun for not being rear, but this car is for drive a ruler.

Facing the curves is the closest thing to riding the rail of a roller coaster, being very difficult to dislodge the car. The management here works with a somewhat strange moron. It's tough and quite direct, very nice, but I liked the feel of the CLA 45 AMG better, a little heavier. When we pass, a slight understeer, easy to control. Its greatest asset is the exit of the curves, since it is as easy as stepping on the accelerator and finding the next one without realizing it. The grip is very high and the controls are hardly noticeable.

Of course, getting to the curves is not bad either. His braking system works perfectly. His touch is most pleasant, very dosable and precise. On the other hand, the power is given to us by 350 mm perforated discs at the front and 330 mm at the rear. In other words, you can either pat the pedal or step on it unceremoniously to detach yourself from the backet that had previously begun to absorb you.

Meanwhile, you travel in a vehicle that seems to have wheels welded to the chassis. I have not yet tested a car with such a hard suspension, and that Mercedes entertains you with an even firmer system for just over 1.000 euros. The truth is that despite that feeling of bouncing, fully recommended by sensations in this car, it does not end up being uncomfortable. It is an opinion perhaps too subjective. What is clear is that rolls or pitches go down in history.

What is then the Mercedes A 45 AMG? an authentic maxi GTI. It has no direct rival for now. Neither the BMW M135i we tested last weekNor Audi S3 they are outlined as alternatives, although they are the closest. Anyone could say that this AMG is absolutely crazy. And in a way it is.

360 horsepower in a compact is out of the question. But then you get on it, try it out, and find out, at least on our test unit, that it's the closest thing to getting into a racing car. The sound with the optional exhaust is spectacular, and I don't think I have much to envy a good V8 with AMG signature.

Don't run, fly. Perhaps too much for inexperienced hands. Sure, then it's easy to drive. It is noble of reactions and to put it in trouble you have to shoot exaggeratedly strong. We can't really say that it has drawbacks; it is not a rational car.

But I am going to keep two negative points to complete this test. The first, the price. Just over 55.000 euros for a compact it is beyond all justification, especially if we see the list of options that should come as standard. The other, not having the time or the will to get out of the car and record the magnificent purr of the exhaust and show it here.

Thanks to Itra Group Mercedes Benz for giving us the test car.