Mercedes has released a series of official ‘spy shots’ of the CLA 45 AMG on test. Scheduled to debut at January’s Detroit Motor Show, the compact four-door coupe will be based on the same platform as the A and B-Class.
The ‘4matic’ lettering on the disguise shows that this is a four-wheel-drive prototype. In addition, there’s an aggressive front bumper, AMG wheels and twin exhausts – confirming that this is the AMG version.
As with the A45 AMG, the CLA 45 will have a 335bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo, with a seven-speed twin-clutch box and all-wheel drive. Expect a 0-62mph time of around 5.0 seconds, while the limited top speed can be increased with an optional Performance Pack.
The CLA 45 AMG is expected to cost around £38,000 when it arrives in the UK in late 2013.
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Not a fan of the droopy butt.
Am I the only person getting really fed up with cars being given names which allude to a cubic capacity they simply cannot match? The old C32 AMG had a supercharger, so it put out the sort of power at n/a 5 litre might have achieved but they didn't call it a C50 AMG. I think BMW started the ball rolling a decade or so ago with the 320i being 2.2 litres and the 323i 2.5 - madness.
The 45 is to celebrate 45 years of AMG apparently, not equivalent power. Still daft, though.