Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 S Revealed Packing 415 HP (310 kW)

The hot variant of the GLA range has arrived and will make its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show next week.

The new Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 S gets the same 415 hp (310 kW) 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine as the A 45 S. It also gets the same eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox and 4MATIC four-wheel drive too, with torque control across the rear axle to help with cornering and acceleration. The car can sprint to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.4 seconds making it half a second slower than the A 45 S.

The usual driving modes will be available but the full-on drift mode from the A 45 S will be replaced with a new Master setting that enables “slight oversteer”.

The car will continue to be pitched slightly above the equivalent A-Class, so expect prices to start at around R 1million.