It should be a no-brainer, shouldn’t it? AMG’s entry-level model against one of its flagships. But as you might have guessed, this drag race between Mercedes models big and small isn’t exactly that simple.
In one corner is the A45 – an upscale hot hatch with a highly strung 2.0-liter turbo four kicking out 381 horsepower.
In the other is the CLS63 – in this case the Shooting Brake model with extra cargo space underneath its elongated roofline. Its 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 packs twice as many spools and cylinders as the A45’s, two and a half times the displacement, and in base spec, churns out 557 horsepower.
That’s nearly 50 percent more muscle in the CLS than the A45, but here’s the kicker: where the little guy comes standard with 4Matic all-wheel drive, that’s an option on the CLS – and this one doesn’t have it.
So which will win out: power or traction? The behemoth or the little guy? You’ll have to watch the video below from Auto Express to find out, but we will tell you that it’s a lot closer than you might expect.