New Mercedes A45 tipped to be next hot hatch king

It has been revealed that Mercedes-AMG’s much-awaited A45 hot hatch is to be launched in two different power derivatives, respectively wielding 285kW and 310kW. Both will have an all-wheel-drive system that allows for a drift mode, according to Autocar which took a drive in a prototype.

The engine is a tweaked version of the 225kW 2.0l turbocharged four-cylinder petrol used in the Mercedes A35, a car that lands in SA in the third quarter of this year to compete against the likes of the VW Golf R and Audi S3.

The A45’s outputs would make it the king of hot hatches. Harnessing all that power is reportedly a high-tech all-wheel-drive system that employs a separate clutch for each rear wheel, resulting in quick-reacting torque vectoring that can send up to 100% of the power to any of the four wheels.

The A45 should make its official debut soon, possibly even at next week’s Geneva Motor Show.