Mercedes-AMG has pulled the covers off the new CLA 45, and this time there is no small turbocharged four-cylinder hiding under the bonnet. The two previous generations of this pint sized performance saloon built a reputation for punching well above their weight, usually mentioned in the same breath as cars like the Audi RS3. This new one is aiming much higher.
Why The Switch To Electric Power Changes Everything
The big story here is that AMG has gone all in on battery power for its smallest performance model. Even by the standards of today’s inflated EV outputs, 671 hp (500 kW) from a car this compact is a genuinely eye opening number. The performance figures match the drama too.
Mercedes-AMG quotes a 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) sprint of just 2.7 seconds, a time that puts it within touching distance of hypercar royalty such as the LaFerrari and Aston Martin Valkyrie. It also lines up neatly against hybrid all wheel drive supercars like the Ferrari SF90 and Lamborghini Revuelto, which is a wild comparison for something that looks like a compact family saloon.
The Tech Borrowed From AMG’s Flagship Four Door
None of this happened by accident. AMG has leaned on the same axial flux motor technology found in the far pricier AMG GT 4 Door, developed alongside British engineering firm Yasa. The CLA uses three of these motors in total, with two paired together in a single housing on the rear axle and a third mounted up front.
That setup gives the car a distinctly rear biased character while also allowing near instant torque vectoring between the back wheels, something that should make itself known the moment you turn into a corner with any real speed.
Interestingly, AMG has also fitted synthetic engine sound and paddle operated virtual gear changes. Rather than inventing something artificial sounding, the brand says it has faithfully recreated the note of the old four-cylinder engine, complete with pops and crackles from exhaust pipes that no longer physically exist.
Power, Torque And Straight Line Performance
The headline 671 hp (500 kW) figure is only available in a temporary overboost mode. Settle into a more sustained drive and the CLA 45 produces 603 hp (450 kW) continuously, which happens to match what the previous generation E63 S offered not too long ago.
Torque is rated at a hefty 1,759 Nm (1,298 lb-ft), and top speed is limited to 249 km/h (155 mph) as standard, rising to 285 km/h (177 mph) if you tick the box for the AMG Driver’s package.
Battery Size, Charging And Real World Range
Energy comes from a 94 kWh battery pack that AMG has fine tuned, though it was not developed entirely in house. That is 9 kWh larger than what you get in the standard electric CLA, and it also supports quicker charging at up to 330 kW, enough to take the battery from 10 to 80 percent in around 22 minutes.
Claimed range sits at over 668 km (415 miles) for the saloon and 637 km (396 miles) for the slightly less slippery Shooting Brake estate. Those are impressive numbers for something that can also hit supercar sprint times, although it does come with a weight penalty. This is a compact performance car that tips the scales at close to 2.3 tonnes.
Styling Updates Inside And Out
AMG has fitted both body styles with an active rear wing that stays flush with the bodywork at lower speeds and rises automatically when extra stability is needed at higher velocities. Elsewhere, the visual changes over the standard CLA are fairly restrained, with larger wheels and mildly reworked bumpers front and rear adding a bit more visual bite.
Look closer though and there are more telling details, including wider front arches and the removal of the front lightbar, both of which bring it visually closer to the AMG GT 4 Door. The illuminated star pattern in the grille that divided opinion has also been dropped in favour of the more familiar Panamericana vertical strakes.
Inside, AMG has fitted new bucket seats and given the trio of dashboard screens their own unique graphics. The steering wheel also gets the brand’s latest satellite style controls for drive modes, plus scroll wheels positioned on the upper spokes.
