The Mercedes A45 has been the most powerful hot hatchback in the world since it was revealed back in 2013. When first introduced, the car's 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine produced 355 horsepower. The A45 was never sold in the US, but the sedan and SUV versions called the CLA and GLA were designed with the US in mind. In 2015, AMG gave all of these cars a power bump to 375 hp. Auto Express sat down with AMG boss Tobias Moers who has revealed that the next-generation A45 could make well over 400 hp.
Moers said that he has given his engineers a “blank piece of paper” to develop an all-new engine because the current engine is at its limit. He explained that "the limiting factor is the heat management in the cylinder head, so we’re not moving forward with that engine any more.” When asked if this new engine would produce over 400 hp, Moers said "Yes, I think so." AMG has likely been given a lot of freedom on this project because the current A45 has sold very well. Mercedes was unsure if a hatchback at this price class would sell well, but the average A45 transaction price for the car in the UK is 50,000 GBP ($61,500).
Giving the A45, CLA45, and GLA45 over 400 hp would be a great way to make them competitive against the current crop of cars in this segment. Volkswagen may have killed off plans for its badass 400 hp Golf, but the new RS3 will pack 400 hp from its 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine. The Ford Focus RS and Civic Type R will be interesting competition as well, but the Mercedes will have those cars beat on everything except price. Moers was also asked if there would be a model between the base 250 models and the 45 AMG models much like the recent 43 AMG models. He only replied with a "maybe," but we think that a mid-tier model would stack up perfectly against the Audi S3 and BMW M240i.
