Mercedes-Benz CLA 45 AMG leaked

The piping-hot Mercedes-Benz CLA 45 AMG compact sports sedan has been revealed in all its glory a week before its world public premiere at the New York motor show next Wednesday (March 27).

Although a single rear-end image of the fire-breathing all-wheel drive four-door was seen last month when the latest Playstation 4 video game Driveclub was announced, the full range of official images now comes not from Mercedes but a Russian automotive image bank.

The first full interior, exterior, action and detail shots of the CLA 45 also emerges as Mercedes-Benz continues to stage the global launch of mainstream CLA models in Europe this week, when motoring.com.au will also drive a prototype version of AMG’s smallest sedan.

While the CLA 45 AMG is not due on sale in Australia until next year, volume-selling front-wheel drive CLA 200 petrol and CLA 200 CDI diesel variants of the ‘mini-CLS’ upon which it’s based will arrive here in August.

The following month will see Mercedes-Benz Australia release the A 45 AMG hot hatch, which will be priced at $74,900 plus on-road costs and will employ the same gob-smacking powertrain as the CLA 45 AMG.

Mainstream versions of the CLA -- which is actually longer than the soon-to-be-replaced C-Class sedan at 4.63 metres -- will cost more than $50,000, so expect the AMG version to be priced closer to $100,000.

Both 45 AMGs pack a twin-scroll turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that throws down no less than 265kW of peak power and 450Nm of torque, delivered to all four wheels via a 4MATIC AWD system and a 7G-DCT seven-speed twin-clutch automated manual transmission.

Mercedes is yet to reveal full technical details, but the CLA 45 AMG is expected to match the outstanding vital statistics of the mechanically identical A 45 AMG, which debuted alongside the production CLA at the Geneva show earlier this month.

That includes a 0-100km/h sprint time of just 4.6 seconds, making it one of the most rapid compact sedans ever.

Naturally, AMG’s all-new sedan appears identical to the A 45 AMG forward of the A-pillars, featuring a more aggressive front-end and grille with oversized three-pointed star logo and F1-style lower bumper treatment.

There are also beefy side skirts, black wing mirrors, a matching rear diffuser, quad exhaust outlets and subtle bootlid lip spoiler.

Inside, the hottest CLA shares the A 45 hatchback’s AMG sports bucket seats, steering wheel, gearshifter, turbine-inspired air-vents and carbon-fibre dash finish.

As part of its push to increase total global sales from a current 30,000 to 40,000 by 2015, AMG has committed to producing three models from the modular front/all-wheel drive MFA platform that underpins the A-Class, B-Class and upcoming GLA-Class compact crossover.

With an AMG version of the rumoured CLA Shooting Brake and a B 45 AMG unlikely, the GLA 45 AMG therefore appears odds-on to join the A 45 and CLA 45 AMGs within about 12 months.

AMG has also promised to increase its range from 22 to 30 models by 2015, when an all-new compact ‘SLC’ supercar is expected to be positioned between the C63 AMG Coupe ($156,900) and the SLS AMG Coupe ($468,320) to directly target the Porsche 911.

More photos of the leaked Mercedes-Benz CLA 45 AMG

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