Introduced alongside the latest A 45 is the new
Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 4Matic+, which should appeal to those that want a little
more boot space and coupe-ish styling than what the hot hatchback can offer. Mechanically, it’s identical to
the A 45, as there’s still a M139 2.0 litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol
engine under the bonnet that we’ve written about at length in the past.
On the base model, the mill makes 387 PS at
6,500 rpm and 480 Nm from 4,750 rpm, which is more than what the M133 could
muster in the previous-generation car with its 381 PS at and 475 Nm. Meanwhile, the top-of-the-hill
CLA 45 S 4Matic+ offers a more substantial 421 PS at 6,750 rpm and 500
Nm of torque from 5,000 rpm, partly thanks to a higher boost pressure for the
single twin-scroll turbo of 2.1 bar against the base model’s 1.9 bar.
Regardless of the variant chosen, rest assured you have more power than the
“lesser” CLA 35.
The resulting performance from these measures is a
zero to 100 km/h time of 4.1 seconds and a 250 km/h top speed (270 km/h with
the AMG Driver’s Package) for the basic model, while the A 45 S completes the
century sprint in 4.0 seconds, and will hit 270 km/h. Compared to the A 45,
both models are slower by just a tenth of a second respectively. An eight-speed AMG Speedshift DCT
8G dual-clutch transmission and AMG Performance 4MATIC+ fully-variable
all-wheel drive system are coupled to the engine. The latter comes with what
the company calls AMG Torque Control, which is found in the rear axle differential.
With it comes two electronically controlled multi-disc clutches, each connected
to a rear axle drive shaft. This allows the engine power to be fully
distributed between the front and rear wheels, as well as selectively between
the left and right rear wheels.
To take advantage of this, the CLA 45 comes with a
Drift mode , which makes “powersliding possible for even more driving
pleasure.” This is called up in the Race drive mode, which is offered with the
AMG Dynamic Plus package – standard on the S-model but optional for the base
model. However, you’ll need to have ESP deactivated, and have the transmission
in manual mode to have Drift mode engaged. The aforementioned AMG Dynamic
Plus package, which is standard on the S-model and optional for the base A 45,
adds on 360 mm discs and six-piston calipers at the front, marked out by red
paint and a black AMG logo.
The cabin comes upholstered with black Artico
man-made leather and Dinamica microfibre as standard, but you can request for a
a full Artico leather get-up in neva grey/black with mid-grey double
topstitching, matched with light-longitudinal-grain aluminium trim. To match the sporty persona the
CLA 45 exemplifies, there are sport seats, red designo seat belts, red rings on
the air vents, an AMG Performance steering wheel, yellow highlights (only for
the S-model), and AMG-specific displays for the Mercedes-Benz User Experience
(MBUX) infotainment system. Three AMG display styles – Classic, Sport and “Supersport – are
available, and you can have special displays brought up too, in case you need
to know oil temperatures, use a lap timer, check engine data, or even use the
AMG Track Pace data logger.
As for the exterior, the jet-wing in the apron helps
to frame the large air intakes at the front, while the Panamericana grille adds
to the car’s visual presence. Unlike the A 45, the CLA 45 doesn’t require
flared wheel arches, as the basic, non-AMG CLA body already has a wider front
track and Mercedes-Benz says the “wings could be flared to a lesser extent.”
Quad exhausts at the rear have different diameter
pipes, with 82 mm units used for the basic car, while the S-model has larger 90
mm pipes. Four individual fins make up the diffuser, while a spoiler on the
boot lid completes the overall look. Of course, this can be enhanced
further with the AMG Aerodynamic package, where the car gains a front splitter
and additional flics, an additional diffuser blade, rear spoiler lips and an
even larger rear spoiler lip. The AMG Night and Silver Chrome packages, plus
19-inch wheel designs are also available.