Mercedes-AMG A 45 S Review 2020 – Australia

Priced from an eye-watering $93,600, the 2020 Mercedes-AMG A 45 S is almost $20,000 more expensive than its predecessor and almost $30,000 more than the watered-down (but still bloody good) AMG A 35.

The huge price hike is warranted, insists Mercedes-AMG, by equipment upgrades, a completely redesigned all-wheel drive system and an all-new engine that brings record-setting performance.

And it's true. The enhanced features of the AMG A 45 S are really cool and the new mechanicals make it way more engaging to drive… yet the premium car-maker insists on including the world's cheapest plastic gear shifter. Yuck.

Anyway, for around $100,000 when dealer delivery and statutory costs are added, the Mercedes-AMG A45 S comes with plenty of exterior eye-candy, including a wider snout with a butch Panamericana grille, wider guards, black 19-inch alloy wheels, thicker side skirts, a roof spoiler and discreet rear diffuser plus a pair of dual 90mm exhaust outlets with AMG logos.

Compared to the first-generation AMG A 45 hyper hatch, the interior is way better, not only in terms of fit and finish and the quality of materials, but also ergonomics and the integration of technology.

Standard equipment includes a pair of 10.2-inch screens that dominate the cockpit, controlled by the MBUX infotainment system that has class-leading voice-activated control, complete with AI learning that gets used to your voice.

The big sunroof and Burmester audio system fitted as standard can be voice operated while other standard equipment includes keyless entry and push-button engine start, heated front sports seats, 64-colour ambient interior lighting and tinted windows.

Apart from the tastefully integrated (and very functional) air-vents, soft-touch dash plastics and elegant dual-zone climate control toggle switches, my personal favourite feature in the cabin is the steering wheel.

It's arguably one of the best tillers this side of an F1 race car steering wheel, the microfiber (suede) trimmed rim creating perfect grip, while the pair of AMG-specific digital dials allow the quick switching between drive modes – snow, individual, comfort, sport, sport+ and race.

Front seat room is generous but back seat and boot space aren't amazing. I managed to fit a child seat in the back and 4000 bog rolls in the boot, but that's not saying much.

Criticisms? Apart from the high price and awful gear shifter, I couldn’t find an auto-hold function, which would've made the stop-start traffic light tango more seamless. There's plenty of USB-C ports but if you have the older USB-A cables, you'll need adaptors (which aren't included).

The 2020 Mercedes-AMG A 45 S comes with an impressive array of safety tech, including LED headlights with auto high-beam, autonomous steering or lane keep assist (that actually works), adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring and lane change assist.

The MBUX infotainment system with its 'Hey Mercedes' voice control system and in-depth instrument panel has a never-ending array options and custom settings is very powerful but the coolest tech fitted to this machine is the new all-wheel drive system.

Dubbed 4MATIC+, the system fitted to the A 45 S is different to that fitted to the AMG A 35 and uses a pair of clutch packs – one for each rear wheel – to actively vector torque across the rear axle. In practice, it means the ballistic German has an oversteering tendency that makes punching out of corners at full noise a euphoric experience.

This feels more like a rear-drive car at the limit, where the original was a thinly-veiled bum-dragger of nose-ploughing proportions. The new AWD system also has a drift mode, but it's not something I was willing to test on the road.

The launch was originally going to be at the Phillip Island circuit, which would have seen even more florid language in this review; of that there can be little doubt.

Like all top-shelf Mercedes-AMG vehicles, the A 45 S adheres to the 'one man, one engine' hand-assembled ethos. Built at AMG's HQ in Affalterbach, Germany, the scorching second-gen 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine (M139) belts out a V8-like 310kW at 6750rpm and no less than 500Nm at 5000rpm.

That makes it the world's most powerful turbocharged four-cylinder production engine.

With 30kW and 25Nm more mumbo than before, a sky-high 7200rpm rev limit (previously 6700rpm) and a more linear power curve, the engine feels wickedly quick to spin up.

It's more satisfying to wring its neck now, despite the fact it doesn't sound like an exploding fireworks factory anymore. There's a few pops and crackles going on, it's just more subdued.

Together with a new eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (now 3.5kg lighter) with launch control, the tubby 1550kg car accelerates to 100km/h in just 3.9 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 270km/h.

The high-output powerplant is an incredible piece of engineering work, all-new from the ground up, using a new cast-alloy block, cylinder heads, crankcase, turbo, two-stage fuel injection and air-to-air intercooler, the list goes on.

The only thing carried over are the bore and stroke measurements of 83x92mm, which makes for 1991 cubic centimetres of displacement.

AMG's engine boffins wanted the new M139 engine to feel more like a naturally-aspirated engine, so at 5300rpm there's a big torque spike, which creates a compulsion to rev it more.

Simply put, this is more addictive than kimchi and melted cheese toasties.

On a winding stretch of smooth, deserted bitumen (thanks COVID-19 – just doing my job), the Mercedes-AMG A45 S is poetry in motion. The harsh rawness of its predecessor’s rigid suspension is gone, replaced by a more nuanced chassis that better absorbs mid-corner bumps and makes for a far more engaging and approachable road car.

Chuck in more poke from the cream-crackers-crazy engine, a faster-shifting eight-speed gearbox and the rear-biased 4MATIC+ AWD system and you're looking at a new benchmark for driver satisfaction in the hot hatch realm.

The Ford Focus RS showed what was possible. The AMG A 45 S adds more pepper and poise.

Indeed, plucky drivers who get on the throttle early out of corners will experience progressive oversteer, the sort that gets the endorphins flowing freely, as sticky Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S (245/35 all round) deliver excellent grip levels.

The chassis get extra bracing in the wheel-arches and a strut brace and plate under the engine are added for improved body rigidity. Together with new MacPherson strut aluminium wishbone suspension up front and a four-link axle at the rear, this gives the car predictable dynamics when driven with wild abandon.

Big six-piston Brembo brake callipers gnaw giant 360mm front rotors, with a single-piston calliper working over 330mm rear rotors, providing more stopping power than nude octogenarian at a busy intersection.

Comfort levels are surprisingly good for such an asphalt assassin, the front sports seats providing good support on longer freeway journeys and the adaptive dampers giving it a more rounded personality. In other words, it’s a more accomplished daily driver too.

The Mercedes-AMG A 45 S is a triumph of engineering, using cutting-edge solutions to create a machine that delivers the gratifying thrills and unbridled excitement normally associated with high-risk childhood victories.

Even in amateur hands, the A 45 S is so approachable it will be faster on a given stretch of road than many more expensive rear-drive performance cars, and the way its matured as a daily driver is impressive.

Granted, the price has risen (a lot) and it may put it out of reach of many, but the car's new persona is worth it in my view, and I guess there's always the AMG A 35 for $69,300.

For me, the highlight of the A 45 S is the clever AWD system. Possessing an ability to blast out of corners with such confidence, connecting car and driver in dynamic harmony, is something I won't soon forget.

The new Audi RS 3 will have to be pretty special to top this. Wunderbar!

How much does the 2020 Mercedes-AMG A 45 S cost?
Price: $93,600 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 310kW/500Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 8.4L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 192g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2018)