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Performance hatchbacks might not be the flavor of the season in India, but they sure are the most wanted vehicles in Europe. Finally the most awaited performance hatchback is officially confirmed by Mercedes-Benz. It is going to be badged as the “A45 AMG” instead of what we all expected it to be the “A25 AMG” from the past two years. This mean machine is going to hit European roads by early 2014, giving a tough competition to the AUDI RS3 and BMW 1M. It will be probably available in three variants the “A45 AMG”, the “CLA four door coupe” and the “CLA shooting brake” which are America bound.
Coming to the specifications, the A45 AMG will be powered by a new 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbocharged engine which is transversely mounted. It develops a massive 330 HP of power and 400 Nm of torque. Drive will be sent to all four wheels and the engine is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The Mercedes A45 AMG uses a multi-plate clutch all-wheel drive system with rear biased torque distribution. All of this will help the hot hatch to hit the 100 km/h in just 5 seconds with the top speed being electronically limited to 250 km/h.
It is no secret that Mercedes-Benz is planing to bring in the new A-Class to India in 2013. The German automaker is also considering bringing in the A-Class AMG to India to create brand awareness. The Indian A-Class will be brought in via the CKD route and Mercedes-Benz is investing Rs. 350 crore to setup a new assembly line for the A and B-Class vehicles. Expect the A-Class to be priced around Rs. 20 lakhs, while the AMG version would cost upwards of Rs. 45 lakhs.
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– Raghunandan Reddy
