► We drive the uprate Merc A45 AMG
► Power uped to missile status, 376bhp
► Triumphs the Audi RS3
Any day now the hot-hatch arms race is going to have its Cuban Missile Crisis, but while the escalation goes on we’ll keep riding the wave. The overpowered and overpriced Audi RS3 lasted but a few weeks at number one – knocked firmly off its perch by this, the new Mercedes A45 AMG, first of the newly made-over A-class range.
The A is not popular with motoring writers, but I have always been fond of the A45. AMG has fed its baby Q-car even more power and torque while adding another grand to the already steep price. At 376bhp (up by 21bhp) and 350lb ft (up by 18), it edges the RS3 by 9bhp. In launch assist mode it will hit 62mph in 4.2sec, thereby eclipsing its predecessor by four tenths and the Audi by 0.1sec. The best-in-class mpg of 40.8 and the 155mph top speed remain the same – unless you spend a fortune on the Driver’s Package, chipped for 168mph.
My first taste is on track, behind legend Bernd Schneider’s pace car, and it isn’t good: too much understeer, diminishing grip, unfamiliar handling, engine running out of revs in third and fourth, wheelman at odds with pedals and paddles, confidence dwindling fast. I ask Bernd for advice. ‘This car requires a different technique and its own rhythm,’ he tells me. ‘To make it shine you must be very hard on the brakes and dial in really radical steering angles.’
A-ha! Brake hard? Yep. Hard and late. It’s not just the exemplary deceleration apparatus that does the trick but also the tenacious grip of the 235/35 R19 tyres. Radical steering angles? You bet. That’s radical as in arms crossed with the throttle mashed and the engine riding the crest of the torque wave. In the AMG GT, this technique would send you into a huge spin. In the A45 it pulls you through and then pushes you out past the apex, gaining momentum. That’s the effect of awd and torque vectoring which support the steering by maintaining a sweet cornering balance. New driving style? Absolutely.
The track cars were fitted with the optional Dynamic Plus pack, Ride Control sport suspension and a mechanical front-axle diff-lock. Ride Control lets you choose from two damper settings and steering weights while adding Race mode for reduced ESP intervention, quicker shifts and faster throttle action.
Out on the road the A45 AMG doesn’t cope well with patchwork surfaces and with dips or crests where the rebound is usually harsher than expected. Although Dynamic Select (previously known as Agility Control) does include an individual drive programme, you can only coast in Eco, you must accept an automatic one-gear downshift in Sport/Sport+/Race, and you can’t pair a fast throttle action with a relaxed transmission set-up. But the A45 is a bold statement, and you can embolden it further via the options list – winged aero kit, 19in alloys, blaring performance exhaust, bucket seats and a matte paint job. Tick all the boxes and it’s pricier than a base C63 AMG.
Now, more than ever, the A45 addresses drivers who find the RS3 too blunt and the M135i too sharp. Its engine is more brutal, the brakes are sensational and the roadholding is sponsored by Superglue. Yes, you need to adapt to the handling characteristics, but the addictive fluidity of motion and the unerring composure make the latest iteration of the brawny Benz, at least in my book, even more compelling.
The specs: Mercedes A45 AMG 4Matic
Price: £39,995 (est)
Engine: 1991cc 16v turbocharged 4-cyl, 376bhp @ 6000rpm, 350lb ft @ 2250rpm
Transmission: 7-speed DCT auto, 4wd
Performance: 4.2sec 0-62mph, 155mph (ltd), 40.8mpg, 162g/km CO2
Weight: 1555kg
On sale: Spring 2016
Love: Grunt, grip, poise and panache
Hate: OTT detailing, unfeasible price
Verdict: Better than its reputation. Also better than RS3
Rating: ****