Natrax is every petrol-head's recent obsession, hosting some amazing events lately. And when Mercedes Benz India sent us an invite, we couldn't hold our horses back. Every time we get an opportunity to be at the world’s fifth largest automotive testing facility, it really gets the adrenaline pumping. This time, the feeling was nothing different. The festive season has been a celebratory one post the gruesome pandemic. And as soon as we came to know about what we were going to drive, all kinds of fireworks started cracking within our heads. This is a pocket rocket from Mercedes Benz.
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Strengthening its performance portfolio in India, Mercedes Benz dropped the world’s most powerful turbocharged four-cylinder engine series production car, the AMG A45S. This is supposedly the fastest hatch-back you can buy in our country. Setting high standards for design innovation and performance, and living up to its brand motto of “Driving Performance”. This fast machine got us intrigued the moment we saw it in the flesh. It is tuned for out-and-out exhilarating performance. The Mercedes Benz AMG A45S is completely re-imagined with a reinforced body shell, a high performance engine with a variety of driving modes and redesigned suspension setup which combine together to give you an enthralling experience every time you get behind the wheel.
With Mercedes Benz working on a completely new design language for all its cars, this AMG A45S 4MATIC + has become even more distinctive than its predecessors. All the way from the front to its back, new styling elements adorn this hatch, making it look even hotter than before. Coming from the AMG family, this little monster now features the AMG-specific vertical slat radiator grille which gives it a pretty aggressive look up-front. The power domes on the aerodynamically designed bonnet seems as if it is charging at you even at stand-still. The re-designed multi-beam LED headlights, wider front wings, flared wheel arches and the super sporty AMG wheels strike an imposing presence. A much wider front and rear axle underlines the athletic stance of the AMG A45S. At the rear, a wider apron gives it an all new character along with the sporty diffuser, and the sweet gnarly sounding twin tailpipe setup looks neat and mean. You can opt from a range of colour options like Sun Yellow, Polar White, Mountain Grey, Designo Patagonia Red, Designo Mountain Grey Mango and Cosmos Black. The two twin tailpipe trims measuring 90 mm in diameter looks impressive. The exhaust notes are such that every petrol head could listen to it like a symphony for hours. And then this distinctive diffuser with four vertical fins and the AMG spoiler lip on the roof. All Led Lights and this AMG Grill which can actually scare you. Red Brake Calipers with AMG badging,19-inch cross-spoke forged wheels are all so so gorgeous that you might just keep one in your bedroom. Considering a fuel tank of 51 Litres and it being an AMG , frequent trips to the fuel pump will be a usual thing to do. Boot Space is huge for a hatchback this size summing upto 370 litres of storage space.
Get inside and you are greeted with the highest quality interiors. It's the perfect amalgamation of luxury and sportines. It creates a sense of personal connection with the machine. Niche metals, leather and alcantara spread across makes you feel like an astronaut inside a spaceship’s cockpit. The actively positioned contoured AMG sports seats are firm with lateral support. The upholstery is a combination of black ARTICO man-made leather and DINAMICA microfiber with red double stitching. These AMG Performance seats for driver and front passenger provide you your own perfect level of lateral stability via the multicontour seat function and adjust the seating position electrically. There is no massage function but you will have plenty of mind and spiritual massage on the road.
The dual infotainment screens on the dash give you a host of features to fiddle with including the driving dynamics and infotainment system. It also comes fitted with a high end Burmester sound system boasting 12 speakers with a whooping 590W output.Though I doubt if you would like to use the speakers or indulge in the exhaust note ! The best interior element has to be the AMG line flat-bottom steering wheel which is thick and precise and just accentuates the whole confidence feeling while driving at triple digit speeds.
It is faaaast! It shoots like a rocket giving you an unparalleled experience like no other vehicle can deliver. It packs in a 2-liter inline 4 cylinder (the fastest ever) twinscroll turbocharged engine churning out 421 hp at 6750 rpm of power and delivers 500 Nm or torque at 5000-5250 rpm. The driving system is the AMG performance 4Matic+ fully variable all wheel drive with AMG torque control. The transmission is an AMG speedshift DCT 8G dual-clutch automatic. Even though the cars were set to a limit of 278km/h, we managed to clock a 0-100 in under 4 secs and yes we did hit the Top speed also and the needle stopped at 278. Few features worth mentioning are as follows- Reinforced body shell - It is the base for the self-steering characteristics and track and camber stability especially when driving at triple digit speeds. Engine - The new engine excels with plenty of features like the turbocharger, and the exhaust manifold which are now positioned at the rear. The intake system is positioned up-front. This particular configuration allows for the flattest possible aerodynamic front section design and improvised air-ducting. The new twinscroll turbocharger combines optimum responsiveness at low engine speeds with a higher power in the upper RPM range which results in higher torque at low speeds and extreme responsiveness whenever you need. NanoSlide- To reduce the friction between pistons and the cylinders, the linings are coated using patented Nanoslide technology. This gives the linings a mirror-like surface for minimal friction, making them twice as hard as the conventional ones. One-man One-Engine- The new AMG A45S engine is entirely assembled by hand. It is just a single person who is responsible for assembling the unit by hands with utmost precision and craftsmanship. AMG Torque Control- The extremely dynamic driving experience in a completely new dimension is greatly assisted by the fully variable all-wheel drive as standard. The secret is the AMG torque control in the new rear axle differential. AMG Drift Mode- This makes “power sliding” a child’s play. 6 AMG Dynamic Select Driving Modes- Transforming the vehicle characteristics drastically are the driving modes like Slippery, Confort, Sport, Sport+, Individual and Race. Innovative RACE START- The inclusion of RACE START enables optimal vehicle acceleration from a standstill making it a drag race kind of experience. Safety Features- From the safety point of view, inclusion of safety features such as Blind Spot Assist helps in monitoring areas alongside and behind the the car to warn the driver way before changing lanes. Active lane keeping Assist also helps the driver in maneuvering the vehicle back in lane. The AMG performance line braking system is sharp and crisp. Built to provide brisk stable deceleration and minimizing fade.
It is a pocket rocket in literal sense is nimble, agile and fast and can be a great reason to wake up every morning and go to wherever you want to go.Including your grocery shopping.
