Mercedes-AMG CLA45 packs a 500kW punch

Mercedes-AMG has used the know-how from its flagship GT 4‑Door Coupé to enhance the latest generation CLA45 4MATIC+, revealed with three potent electric motors.

Revealed today as the follow-up to the successful, turbocharged four-cylinder CLA45, the new-generation model is electric only, following on from the launch of the latest Benz CLA last year.

Based on the standard CLA but with all the accoutrements one can expect from an AMG model, the new CLA45 appears far more menacing than the standard car, retaining the sporty AMG slatted grille, while getting wider wheel arches, vented guards and a twist on the multi-spoke wheels we’ve come to expect from the brand.

Available in both sedan and wagon-style ‘Shooting Brake’ guise, the CLA continues to show off inside the cabin too, where owners can spec a number of different interior colourways, including the bold black and yellow.

On the surface the changes from the base CLA are minimal, with the CLA45 4MATIC+ keeping the huge MBUX Superscreen – combining a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, 14-inch infotainment screen, and 14-inch passenger display – while getting unique accents, such as AMG-specific floor mats, door sills and a unique steering wheel.

However, it’s under the skin where the AMG CLA45 gets interesting, having ditched the petrol engine of its predecessor for not one, not two, but three electric motors.

Now running on an 800-volt platform, the CLA45’s trio of axial-flux motors are effectively borrowed from the GT 4-Door Coupé, having been developed in a partnership between AMG and YARA.

In ‘standard’ guise the motors can develop up to 450kW, though in their most powerful state they put out 500kW and 1759Nm, figures which well exceed the 310kW and 500Nm outputs of the outgoing turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder model.

AMG claims the EV CLA45 can accelerate from 0-100km/h in just 3.0 seconds, before reaching a standard top speed of 250km/h, increased to 270km/h with its AMG Dynamic Plus Package.

The placement of the three electric motors – one for the front, two at the rear – allows for not only better front-to-rear torque distribution but also greater left-and-right vectoring, claiming to improve safety and driving pleasure.

Powered by a 94kWh battery, Mercedes-AMG says the CLA45 4MATIC+ can run for up to 670km on a charge in sedan guise, or 640km for the Shooting Brake.

Thanks to the 800-volt system, its battery can be charged at up to 330kW, resulting in a 10 to 80 per cent charge time of 22 minutes.

While it’s not the heaviest performance EV on the market, it’s not the lightest either, with the battery pack and its accessories leading the CLA45 to tip the scales at 2280kg (sedan), or almost 600kg more than the outgoing model.

Despite this, AMG says that thanks to its trick all-wheel drive system and adaptive suspension, it’s still just as at home on the race track as it is on the road.

Australian timing and pricing for the Mercedes-AMG CLA45 4MATIC+ is yet to be announced.