U Spy The New Mercedes-AMG A45 Testing Near The Grand Canyon

The next-generation Mercedes-AMG A45 promises to push the boundaries of hot hatch performance and has been spied during testing by Carscoops reader Marc Bacayon.

What’s particularly interesting about this prototype is that it was spied testing in the United States, near the Grand Canyon. This is strange because the A-Class isn’t sold in the United States and probably never will be. Evidently, that hasn’t stopped the German automaker from taking it to the U.S. as part of a comprehensive testing regime.

Despite the presence of camouflage across the vehicle’s front fascia and parts of its rear, this A45 is easy to distinguish from lesser A-Class models. At the front, we can see a new splitter as well as enlarged air intakes to help feed the highly-tuned four-cylinder engine.

Look to the sides and you’ll notice a set of silver sports wheels covering what appear to be six-piston brake calipers up front. Bespoke side skirts are also present.

Last but not least is the vehicle’s rear fascia. Mercedes-AMG has designed a prominent spoiler that’s been mounted to the roof and may help generate some real downforce. Additionally, a new rear diffuser and bumper has been fitted alongside the quad tailpipes you’d expect of any AMG-branded model.

The German company has previously confirmed that the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine of the new A45 will deliver in excess of 400 hp. Thanks to this power figure and a hike in peak torque, it’s entirely possible the all-wheel drive hot hatch will be capable of hitting 62 mph (100 km/h) in less than four seconds.

Hat tip to Marc Bacayon for the pictures!