Exceeds expectations

This fast hatchback may be small, but it has the distinction of holding multiple 'most-powerful records

- HORMAZD SORABJEE

This is one hot hatch that has gushed past boiling point. On a scale of 1-10, it's somewhere between 11 and 12. It's blown past any limitations you thought a regular, everyday hatchback would have, except that this isn't an everyday regular hatchback.

Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to the Mercedes-AMG A 45 S, the most powerful hatchback in the world, powered by the most powerful four-cylinder engine in the world and the most powerful 2-litre engine in the world too. That's a lot of most powerful records! So, let's first jump to the heart of the matter, which is the hero engine that produces a scarcely believable 421hp, a figure that would embarrass bigger V8s.

To put the AMG 45S collosal power output in the right perspective, let's look at what mainstream 2-litre engines produce. Mercedes regular 2-litre engine in its most powerful '300' state of tune produces 258hp, a respectable figure in absolute terms but puny compared to the fully-blown, monstrous 2-litre motor under the compact hood of the A45 S. So, what is that makes the AMG engine so special?