Leaked again: Official Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 S pic

Whether by oversight or driven by an intention to arouse hype, Mercedes-Benz has let a photo of the upcoming Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 S leak ahead of the premiere. You could stumble upon it accidentally by opening the configurator page of the cheaper CLA 35.

Based on the pic, the four-door vehicle sports a rather aggressive body design and now has four tailpipes instead of just two.

Rumors say the CLA 45 will ship with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-banger rated at 390 hp (291 kW). The S trim will allegedly take advantage of a stronger engine capable of 420 hp (313 kW). Both should work in tandem with an eight-speed DSG transmission.

The sported-up sedan/saloon will also allegedly pack an AWD system and offer a Drift Mode, just like the E63.

On the market, the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 will be positioned a notch above the CLA 35 4Matic. The latter currently ships with a 2.0-liter turbo good for 306 hp (228 kW) and a seven-speed DSG. It needs slightly less than five seconds to sprint from zero to one hundred kilometers per hour (0-62 mph). 

Photos: motor1.com