If you’re looking for what may be the ultimate hot hatch, your wait ends at next March’s Geneva Auto Show. According to Autocar (via Left Lane News), that’s where Mercedes-Benz will debut it’s latest tuned creation, the A45 AMG hatchback. Under the hood lurks a heavily-modified M274 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, expected to send 349 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox to all four wheels.
If you’re keeping score at home, that’s 33 more horsepower than BMW’s rear-drive M135i gets, and nine more horsepower than Audi’s larger and heavier RS3. It’s also good enough to get the baby AMG from 0-62 mph in 5.1 seconds, on its way to an electronically-limited top speed of 155 mph. If you have an aversion to seeing the taillights of tuned VW GTIs, you can check the box next to the “Performance Package” option, which comes with a top speed of 168 mph.
As you’d expect, the AMG rides on a lowered suspension with stiffer springs and dampers. We suspect it uses larger brakes than the standard A Class, and it rides on 18-inch wheels shod with Dunlop Sport Maxx tires. The A45 AMG will wear an aggressive body kit, similar to what Mercedes-Benz has released in the AMG Sport styling package, already available for A Class models.
Since the A Class is U.S.-bound, we suppose there’s a chance that the A45 AMG will make it here as well. Since Audi didn’t sell the last RS3 here and BMW won’t give us the M135i hatch, Mercedes-Benz would be wise in offering the car on these shores. Maybe we could finally put to bed the rumor that Americans won’t buy hatchbacks.
