The first time I drove this car was at the NATRAX facility which is currently India's best proving ground for automotive testing and there we pushed it to its top speed, driving it at its very limit on the banked oval but then, not everyone has access to a high speed facility like that so we had to experience the newest member of the high-performance Mercedes-AMG family for India, the A 45 S hot hatch on real roads. After all, a street legal car will have to do duty on the streets and if at all, it will also have to fulfil its role as a hatchback. But first, let's establish the fact that despite being a hatchback, the A 45 S doesn't conform to the general understanding of such a car. It's not your regular city runabout and it definitely isn't affordable either. Although, once you change your perspective from owning a hatchback to owning one from Mercedes-AMG then the price tag starts making more sense.
Likes Aesthetics, performance, price
Dislikes Stiff ride quality, slow-speed drivability
No prizes for guessing the origins of the A 45 S and to transform the humble A-Class hatchback big air into this feisty looking AMG, Mercedes swathed on this bright yellow paint with an option of few more colours and then optimised it aerodynamically with scoops and splitters on the front bumper with optional winglets on the sides for added stability and downforce. The Panamericana grille remains the centrepiece of the front end as other AMG cars and a set of adaptive AMG suspension helps lower the car to get this sporty stance. 19-inch alloy wheels look dope and expose the massive and powerful AMG brakes while the rear is summed up with quad exhausts to announce its racy intent.
This story is from the May 2022 edition of Auto Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 2022 edition of Auto Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Big Wing Energy
TVS Motor Company has launched an updated version of the Apache RR 310, which promises to deliver not only more power and torque than before but also more bang for your buck. We recently went down to the COASTT high-performance track to test the theory
All gas All go
Tata Motors' CNG portfolio now includes the Nexon, and this might be a turning point in the way that CNG cars are perceived
Royal Blessings
We get behind the wheel of the Hyundai Exter to explore one of the most well-preserved Mughal Empire sites in our country. Curious?
Generation next
The 4th-gen of the BMW X3 has made its global debut and we were in the brand's hometown of Munich to drive the car before its European debut this year. The same will be launched in India next year
Electrified palace on wheels
Mercedes-Benz has launched the EQS SUV which is nothing short of being a palace. The other positive is that this palace is as green as it can get
Achtung! CXOs
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class LWB is back in a new generation, V214 and this time, the three-pointed stars have showcased how they use their understanding of what their customer needs to be the best-selling luxury brand in the country, year after year
Moving page 3s
The Kia Carnival is here in a facelifted avatar of the second generation (that we skipped in India), but this time, it is priced almost double the previous iteration. Does it have enough to make the price premium worth it? Read on to find out
Successore dei LaFerrari
FERRARI HAS revealed the F80, which is the successor to the LaFerrari, that made up one of the three cars in the Holy Trinity.
McLaren initiates the new trinity
MCLAREN WAS the first of the high-performance brands to reveal a weaponised hybrid system in a supercar with the P1, which became one of the three hybrids known as the Holy Trinity, with the other two being the Ferrari LaFerrari and the Porsche 918 Spyder.
Dzire creates history at GNCAP for Maruti Suzuki
MARUTI SUZUKI DZIRE has scored five stars in the Global NCAP crash tests, making it the first car from the company to achieve this feat.
