The hot lap

NATRAX in Pithampur, Indore is currently India’s best proving ground for automotive testing, the perfect venue then to take a quick spin in the new Mercedes-AMG A 45 S hot hatch

- Abhik Das

To drive the world’s most powerful 4-cylinder turbo-petrol engine is an opportunity that I’m grateful for given my profession but for every one else, it still can be an achievable fantasy given that it is also AMG’s most affordable offering. This powerhouse of an engine deserves no less than a racetrack, away from public roads, to explore the full potential of its performance capabilities. Fortunately, I found myself at one thanks to Mercedes but I also unfortunately found out soon enough that a fantastic experience of enjoying a few laps around the handling circuit at NATRAX would have to remain a dream for the time being. All we were getting with the hottest hatchback in the country right now, was a hot lap at the high-speed oval.

You might argue that the few months old in India, Mercedes-AMG A 35 is the most affordable AMG out there and technically, you’d win that argument but a true connoisseur of an AMG knows the one man, one engine philosophy applies to the very best that the Affalterbach, Germany-based outfit produces and it’s the A 45 rather than the 35 that gets all their attention. The A 45 S I’d argue, is the real deal with a purpose built motor that gets a lot more AMG trickery built into the same 2-litre turbo-petrol to reign in the 421 horses it pushes out but more on that later.

Mercedes-AMG A 45 S

Engine 2.0-litre, in-line 4-cyl, turbo-petrol

Power 421bhp@6,750rpm

Max torque 500Nm@5,000rpm

Gearbox 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Wheelbase(mm) 2,729 LxWxH(mm) 4,445x1,850x1,412