The Mercedes-AMG A45 Is Way More Fun On Track Than You Might Expect

The A45 isn’t a car I’ve ever yearned to take on track, but an encounter with Affalterbach’s megahatch at the Hungaroring showed the car to be much more playful than expected
The Mercedes-AMG A45 Is Way More Fun On Track Than You Might Expect

Pros

Cons

I’ll be the first to admit that this job opens the door to some pretty spectacular driving experiences. As such, it’s very easy to have some pretty dick-ish thoughts creep into your brain. “A Mercedes-AMG A45 on track,” I think to myself while donning a surprisingly tight balaclava; “A car with a front-biased four-wheel drive system isn’t going to be a natural track weapon, is it?”

But before I have a chance to give myself a mental talking to for being an entitled douchebag, I’m out on Budapest’s marvellous Hungaroring, following two other A45s and a Mercedes-AMG GT S instructor car and receiving the most pleasant car-shaped surprised I’ve experienced in some time.

The Mercedes-AMG A45 Is Way More Fun On Track Than You Might Expect

As the pace heats up, the A45 is showing itself to be quite the entertaining little track car. It’s flat and tidy even through the Hungaroring’s tightest, trickiest sections, with the four-wheel drive system’s vast amounts of grip making committed corner exits a doddle.

On the road, you’ll rarely reach the end of that grip unless you’re being an idiot, but on the track, it’s much easier to push the A45 past the limit. Sure enough, understeer lies at the end, but you can adjust the thing a little with the throttle. I simply don’t remember it being quite as easy with the pre-facelift 45 AMG family, so perhaps some jiggery pokery has been going on with the four-wheel drive system.

It does indeed run as front-wheel drive during normal driving, but anything up to a 50:50 split between the axles is possible. But crucially, it doesn’t - like an Audi RS3 - seem mega keen to shuffle power back to the front wheels. This is particularly the case in Race Mode - available with the Dynamic Plus pack, which also adds adaptive dampers and an LSD at the front - seeing the ESP intervention drop to a minimum.

It’s not a drift-happy hooligan, but it’s a step in the right direction. Chuck a bit of trail braking into the mix, and you have a much more playful animal than you might otherwise expect.

It even sounds better than before. The exhaust note has less of that loathsome drone to it, and the synthesised but oh-so satisfying noise it makes on gear changes from the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission is now more of a crack than a fart.

The Mercedes-AMG A45 Is Way More Fun On Track Than You Might Expect

Off the back off the long, tricky hairpin I’m enjoying the thrust from that 2.0-litre inline-four. It may not be the most exotic engine to ever live under the bonnet of an AMG-based machine, but you can’t argue with what it offers, which is - following the recent-ish updates the A45, CLA 45 and GLA 45 - 376bhp. Yep, 188bhp per litre. It’s a trick unit, too, with ‘Nanoslide’ technology to lower friction loss, an all-aluminium crank case and many forged things.

Once the turbo is fully on song past the 3000rpm mark, it gives a surprisingly linear, relentless power delivery. 0-62mph happens in 4.2 seconds, and it’ll top out at the usual electronically limited 155mph mark.

The Mercedes-AMG A45 Is Way More Fun On Track Than You Might Expect

So, how about bad stuff? Well, the track work did highlight that the A45’s steering is pretty lifeless, and a later road drive would demonstrate just how punishingly firm the ride is. Best keep those adaptive dampers in the softer setting away from the track.

Pulling back into the pits, I’m kicking myself for not sticking it in race mode sooner in the session. Time restrictions prevent me from heading out on track again, but next time the opportunity to get one of these A45s on a good circuit arises, I’ll sure as hell be jumping at the chance.

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Comments

Anonymous

I’m still waiting for AMG to throw in their 4.0-litre biturbo V8 in one of these… Judging by the fact the A38 AMG was a thing it can’t be too far now.

04/09/2017 - 08:54 |
24 | 2
Jakob

The that bothers me the most about this car are the exhaust tips. Really. They charge the price of a new Porsche Cayman for an A45, and these ricer tips are what they came up with for the exhaust?

04/09/2017 - 09:02 |
138 | 4
Anonymous

In reply to by Jakob

Pretty much all AMG models (with the exception of the GT range) have those type of exhaust tips. They did it to keep it in line with the others.

04/09/2017 - 09:04 |
30 | 2
H4R1S_01

In reply to by Jakob

They still sound good

04/09/2017 - 09:47 |
2 | 0
Anton 3

In reply to by Jakob

If this bothers you, check out the exhaust tips on the new SQ5.

04/09/2017 - 12:13 |
66 | 2
Anonymous

In reply to by Jakob

THIS IS WHY I HATE MERCEDES!
Real exhausts FTW!

04/09/2017 - 17:41 |
6 | 6
lukalukic1

In reply to by Jakob

Even the very expensive S class have fake tips….

04/09/2017 - 23:34 |
4 | 0
Anonymous

FWD bias and the easily accessible and satisfying art of steering on the throttle and brake :)

04/09/2017 - 09:16 |
2 | 2
Anonymous

I Want One!!

04/09/2017 - 10:02 |
10 | 12
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

….WITH A TRACK!!

04/09/2017 - 10:04 |
10 | 12
240sx ftw

Hopefully getting a pre facelift soon!!

04/09/2017 - 10:47 |
2 | 2
Tomislav Celić

It’s a great car. But I would get a Focus RS insted of this one

04/09/2017 - 10:49 |
18 | 6
Sidious'egg

That fake exhaust <3 …………..

04/09/2017 - 13:16 |
2 | 2
Anonymous

More fun than a Focus RS?

04/09/2017 - 16:36 |
2 | 0
Tomislav Celić

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

That’s impossible

Focus RS - Rallycross
A45 - Formula 1

Do I need to explain further

04/09/2017 - 17:31 |
2 | 2
Anonymous

Guy drives an AMG Mercedes around a track and writes about it.

Car Throttle spends a whole thread talking about exhaust tips…

04/09/2017 - 23:02 |
12 | 2
White Comet

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

hahahahaha because the thrill here is a FWD-based thrill. So the top of the line for FWD fun spotlights are taken by Civic Type R and such.

04/10/2017 - 16:57 |
0 | 0
G coffey

Its quick and you can chuck it into a corner at decent speed, but its dull. Uneventful and too well behaved. Driving round town is pants under 2k rpm and try and prep yourself for the kangaroo jump at traffic lights and junctions.

04/10/2017 - 18:32 |
0 | 0

dull? uneventful? kangaroo jump ? I guess your a real owner lol, its a dual clutch auto so will never kangaroo jump . . . . . . , has 475 torques available at under 2k revs so will be less pants at under 2k revs than most around town, I don’t think you can be seen as a reliable source of info here my friend.

04/10/2017 - 22:02 |
2 | 0