Exceeds expectations
Brunch|Feburary 20, 2022
This fast hatchback may be small, but it has the distinction of holding multiple 'most-powerful records
HORMAZD SORABJEE
Exceeds expectations

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?

This story is from the Feburary 20, 2022 edition of Brunch.

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This story is from the Feburary 20, 2022 edition of Brunch.

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