AMG 45 S: Is Mercedes’ New Hatch ‘Really’ Better than the First?
Long-awaited racetrack introduction kills a few myths about the new AMG hot hatch.
I waited a long time to get my grubby paws on this new Mercedes-AMG A45 S 4Matic+. Lockdown did not help, but today was finally the day — not only for that much anticipated spin, but also for the first real car launch I’ve had the pleasure of attending since this whole sordid affair commenced.
Anyway, I was particularly interested to learn how the car that they say has reclaimed its fastest 2-litre in the world claim shapes up. Its predecessor impressed immensely when it first threw that Benz cat among the hot hatch pigeons back in 2013, but it has since had some pretty handy rivals come to challenge it, not least an ever-improving Golf R and the Audi RS3, both of which since made claim to that “King 2-liter” crown.
And was it an omen when I peeked at Facebook at breakfast and my memory for the day just happened to be the seven-year anniversary of my post of that original AMG 45 launch at Kyalami? I loved the nuance — all it did was sharpen my anticipation of the day.
The big question, is, is the new one really better? And is it as big a step forward as Benz has led us to believe?
Intrigued by that seven-year coincidence, I dug up my report from back then, where I signed off that, “A45 AMG brings the sum of its splendid nuances together in a brilliant whole, which leads me to use that hackneyed phrase to conclude, the King is dead — long live the Hatchback King.”
Zwartkops Raceway is a splendid little facility about 20 miles north of Kyalami, where with all the protocols attended to, the suits extolled new A 45 S’s many virtues. I then had a couple of opportunities to dust off some considerable Covid cobwebs with a few laps behind the wheel of little brother AMG A 35, itself a most impressive package — even on the tight confines of this tight raceway.
There’s something special about a yellow car, so I rushed to claim the canary-coloured 45 S and for my session. It’s an imposing car even without a crazy colour, that much is for sure — now clearly one of the family with its AMG-specific grille, A 45 S gains broader front wings and flared arches to accommodate an increased front track.
‘AMG 45 S: Is Mercedes’ New Hatch ‘Really’ Better than the Original?’ continued…