Mercedes-AMG has turned the CLA 45 into a full electric compact performance car, and the numbers look impressive.
The new Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 4Matic+ produces up to 500 kW, or 680 hp, from three axial-flux electric motors and can do 0–100 kph in 2.7 seconds when measured with a one-foot rollout. On the more familiar standing-start measure, reports list it at about 3.0 seconds.
That puts AMG’s smallest fast saloon in territory once reserved for far larger performance cars. More importantly, it shows how Mercedes-AMG is trying to keep the CLA 45 name alive after the end of the turbocharged four-cylinder era.
The layout is unusual for a compact car. There are two motors on the rear axle and one at the front, giving the CLA 45 fully variable AMG Performance 4Matic+ all-wheel drive.
The rear motors do most of the hard work, while the front unit acts as a booster motor when extra performance or traction is needed. Under lighter loads, it can disconnect to cut drag. In calmer driving, the car can run mainly through the rear axle.
The motors use axial-flux technology, the same basic motor idea Mercedes-AMG has been pushing with its electric GT programme. Unlike conventional radial-flux motors, axial-flux units are flatter and more compact.
Mercedes-AMG said the front motor is just 90 mm wide, while the two rear motors are around 80 mm each. The rear drive unit places the two motors and single-speed planetary gearboxes in one housing, with oil cooling to help the car repeat its peak output.
The battery is a 94 kWh lithium-ion pack. Mercedes-AMG is claiming more than 670 km of WLTP range for the saloon and more than 640 km for the Shooting Brake.
Both versions use an 800-volt electrical system and can DC fast charge at up to 330 kW. The 10–80% charge time is quoted at 22 minutes, while a 10-minute stop can add more than 270 km of range under ideal conditions.
The CLA 45 will be sold in two body styles from launch: a four-door saloon and a Shooting Brake. Both get active aerodynamics.
The saloon has an active rear spoiler, while the Shooting Brake uses an active roof-edge spoiler. The spoilers stay tucked away at lower speeds, then change angle depending on driving mode, speed and stability demands. The active radiator fins at the front can remain closed at high speed, opening only when more cooling air is needed.
Underneath, the CLA 45 uses AMG Ride Control sports suspension with steel springs and adaptive damping. The front suspension has a three-link layout with forged aluminium lower arms, while the rear uses a multi-link arrangement.
The damper settings are tied to Comfort, Sport and AMGFORCE S+ modes, giving the car a softer everyday setting and a firmer setup.
There are six standard AMG Dynamic Select modes: Slippery, Comfort, Sport, AMGFORCE S+, Eco and Individual. The AMG Dynamic Plus package adds Race mode, track functions and launch control.
The car also has five levels of energy recovery, and Mercedes-AMG said most normal braking can be handled through recuperation before the hydraulic brakes take over. For heavy braking, it gets 390 mm front discs with six-piston fixed callipers and 350 mm rear discs with single-piston floating callipers.
AMG has also tried to solve one of the awkward questions around electric performance cars: sound. In AMGFORCE S+ mode, the CLA 45 plays a recreated AMG four-cylinder soundtrack based on recordings of an A 45 S. Mercedes-AMG said it used 13 microphones and more than 1,600 measurements to capture the reference car.
The result is paired with simulated gear changes, seat shakers and a rev-counter-style display. It will not please everyone, but it gives the electric CLA 45 some of the drama buyers associate with old AMG compact cars.
The cabin is configured as a four-seater, with sports seats, an AMG Performance steering wheel and AMG-specific displays. Standard seat trim combines ARTICO leather-look material with MICROCUT microfibre, while higher-grade leather and two-tone combinations are available.
The latest MBUX system runs on Mercedes-Benz’s MB.OS platform and, according to the company, integrates AI functions from ChatGPT, Microsoft Bing and Google Gemini. AMG-specific apps show motor output, energy flow, tyre pressure, battery condition and track data.
For circuit work, AMG Track Pace records more than 80 vehicle data points ten times per second. It can display lap times, sector times, acceleration data and ideal braking points.
The Predictive Performance Manager also adjusts energy output around a circuit, because using maximum power everywhere is not always the fastest way to complete repeated laps.
Styling changes are in the usual AMG mould. The CLA 45 gets a vertical-strut AMG grille, wider front wings, a front splitter, larger side skirts and a diffuser-style rear bumper.
Nineteen-inch wheels are standard, with 20-inch alloy or forged wheels available. AMG Night packages add dark exterior detailing, while the AMG Dynamic Plus package brings coloured brake callipers.
For now, the electric CLA 45 is AMG’s new compact performance statement: smaller than the AMG GT, more practical than a supercar, but carrying the same message.
The next CLA 45 will not have an engine. AMG still wants it to feel like one.
