Feeling swish on the roads

The Geraman automaker has launched a range of super-sports cars in compact class to help drivers feel swish and in control on the roads.

The new Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 S (4MATIC+/ A 45 S 4MATIC+) is available in two output and torque variants with a completely newly developed 2-litre engine making it the world’s most powerful turbocharged four-cylinder engine manufactured for series production.

Tobias Moers, chairman of the management board of Mercedes-AMG said: “We have completely redesigned our “45” models – from the engine and transmission through the chassis, the elaborately constructed drivetrain to the body structure and of course the design itself – all with one goal: to raise vehicle dynamics and the sporty driving experience to a level previously unimaginable in the compact class.

“With the presentation of this, our most powerful and most dynamic compact sports car, we are also reinforcing the significance of this segment for our growth strategy.”

The S-variant with 310 kW (421 hp) jostles with considerably higher vehicle classes. Drivers can expect perfect sequences in all driving situations and fast gearshifts measured in milliseconds guaranteed by the new AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT-8G dual-clutch transmission with eight gears. Maximum torque has also increased from 475 to up to 500 newton metres. Plus, the vehicles turbo engine even ranks ahead of many well-known super-sports car engines.

The new engine is entirely assembled by hand with a newly designed production line constructed in the AMG engine manufactory in Affalterbach, Germany.  Mercedes-AMG has raised the “One Man, One Engine” principle  and is on the road to implementing Industry 4.0, AMG’s hand assembly operation likewise follows the vision of “smart production”.

Meanwhile, the six AMG DYNAMIC SELECT driving modes are Slippery, Comfort, Sport, Sport +, Individual and RACE.

Also, the active, fully-variable AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive distributes the power to the rear axle wheel-selectively by AMG TORQUE CONTROL – for top traction and the spectacular drift mode. This is made possible by a new rear axle differential featuring two multidisc clutches – one for each rear wheel.

As a feature of the AMG DYNAMIC SELECT driving modes, the new 45 models have AMG DYNAMICS. This integrated vehicle dynamics control extends the stabilising functions of ESP with agility-enhancing intervention in the all-wheel control, steering characteristics and additional ESP functions. When cornering at speed, for example, brief braking intervention at the inner rear wheel generates a defined yawing motion around the vertical axis for responsive and precise entry into the bend. The spectrum ranges from extremely stable to highly dynamic.

The combination of sporty design and sophisticated details is also featured in the MBUX infotainment system with its new operating and display concept. MBUX creates an even closer connection between the vehicle, driver and passengers. Visually, the two displays under one shared glass cover blend into a Widescreen Cockpit and as a central element consequently emphasise the horizontal orientation of the interior design. The customer can choose between the three AMG display styles including Classic, Sport and Supersport for the instrument cluster.

The touchscreen multimedia display also emphasises the dynamic character with individual AMG displays such as visualisation of the driving programmes, AMG TRACK PACE and telemetry data.

And needless to say, the trailblazing voice control activated with the words “Hey Mercedes” is also on-board.

As for the exterior, the A 45 S 4MATIC+ and CLA 45 S 4MATIC+ models are even more distinctive than their predecessors. For the first time, the compact class now also features the AMG-specific radiator grille with a wider lower contour and 12 vertical louvres – as a clear indicator of AMG Performance family membership. Also, the pronounced “shark nose”, the slim, deeply contoured headlamps and the flat, aerodynamically favourable bonnet with powerdomes visually lower the front section to create the impression of extremely dynamic forward thrust.