The latest Mercedes-AMG A 45 S special edition brings along some unique exterior and interior design traits, but no extra power or tech.
For the first time on record, the compact performance hatchback gets a matte-green finish known as the Green Hell Mango. This paint debuted on the company’s ultimate flagship, the Mercedes-AMG GT R, eight years ago. Yellow stripes on the body, trim and 19-inch forged wheels fulfill the function of accents.
Going with a laconic yellow/green scheme must have felt too tame for the AMG design team, because they added black stripes to the sides, a massive AMG logo to the hood cover and huge ‘45 S’ decals to the doors. The result stops just short of gaudy, in our opinion.
The black interior is much more understated – there’s little going on aside from the model emblems embroidered on the headrests and the floor mats. The usual aluminum trim bits and sports steering wheel are included, but the leather is artificial all around. The top 45 S trims can be optioned with natural leather, so we suspect it was a vegan-friendly decision.
Things stay stock under the hood. The world’s most powerful 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo sends 421 PS (415 hp / 310 kW) to all four wheels and takes the hot hatch 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 3.9 seconds. Rumor has it Mercedes doesn’t have any plans for another A-Class generation, so this might be your last chance to get the A 45 with a potent petrol engine.
