A-CLASS DRUG
rewarding in higher revs. Peak power hits uncharacteristically high (6750rpm) ensuring that, despite offering plenty of grunt down low, there’s still reason to explore the rev range.
The A45 masks its 1635kg neatly on a Kiwi back-road thanks to a friendlier front end than its predecessor. Steering is light but precise with not a sign of torque steer.
You can tell that AMG’s boffins paid special attention to giving their monstrous creation more personality. When gunning down tighter, twistier fare, it can feel like you’re controlling the thing with its rear wheels and the accelerator, feeling rear-driven as the tail swings outwards on corner exits.
The secret weapon is the all-wheel drive system; specifically the trick AMG Torque Control rear differential. For the nerds (and we are them), the rear axle features two separately acting multidisc clutches that allow variable distribution of torque depending on throttle percentage, speed and so on. The real-world result is that the A45 often sends mountains of power to its outer rear wheel during high-speed cornering.
At medium speeds, this helps with stability. At high speeds, this creates the aforementioned rear-driven feel. And at speeds that should be confined to race tracks, this calls for the AMG Torque Control system’s other trick, Drift Mode, which sends even more power to the rear to make this car an on-demand, skidding, Michelin-shredding machine.
There’s something artificial about how the diff makes the car feel in practice. Part of me wonders if my instinct is some kind of anti-placebo . . . is my knowledge that the sensation is created artificially knocking down my satisfaction? If someone handed me the keys, told me nothing, and I had fun, does it really matter?
Being based on the 2018 AA Driven New Zealand Car of the Year-winning A-Class is a good start. The interior quality is exceptional for a small car. It even features a much improved version of Mercedes-Benz’s “Hey Mercedes” MBUX interface.
The trick to deploying complex mechanicals in a hot hatch is the ability for them to be usable in everyday driving. Here, the enormous six-piston front callipers and 360mm discs feel just as comfortable dealing with stopstart traffic as they do when being thrashed. And the dual-clutch is similarly versatile. Its suspension could perhaps be a little more compliant at low speeds, but overall it’s much more forgiving than in A45s of old. My other concern is the oddly shaped rear-door apertures and lack of leg-room. But then again, it’s still far more practical than any sports car.The new A45’s wild reputation and wilder price blurs the line between practical hyper-hatch and impractical sports car in the same vein as turbo-four versus V8.
The way I resolved my thoughts on the A45 was to simply appreciate the masterclass under the bonnet. It reiterates that Mercedes-Benz is still an engineering powerhouse. In AMG fashion, each of these incredible engines is meticulously hand-built by one person. In our case, this vehicle’s engine proudly signed off by a fellow named Lukas Math.
Searching online, it appears he owns a Volkswagen Golf. Funny that.