Mercedes-AMG A45’s 2.0L Turbo Four To Be Utilized By Other Performance Models As Well

The most powerful series production 2.0-liter, four-pot currently resides in the Mercedes-AMG’s 45 and, in top form, kicks out a very healthy 421 PS (415 HP / 310 kW) and 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) of torque, directed to the all-wheel drive via an eight-speed, dual-clutch transmission.

This allows the new-gen A45 S and CLA 45 S to sit at the top of the food chain in the compact segment, edging out key rivals from Audi and BMW.

But why did they go to such great lengths (and investments) only to limit the offering to the high-end versions of the new A-Class and CLA? Well, according to PaulTan, quoting the AMG head honcho, Tobias Moers, there’s much more to it than that.

Also Watch: Does The New Mercedes-AMG A 45 S Have The Edge Over The Old Car?

During the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show, where the two 45 S models were on deck, Moers said: “The reason [why it makes so much power] is that we’re going to use it for further applications, which are not necessarily east-west applications.” In plain English, he confirmed that it can be mounted longitudinally as well, as opposed to the transverse application in the A45 and CLA 45, thus opening the door to numerous possibilities.

Nonetheless, it probably won’t give birth to a C45 or an E45, but could replace the ICE units of the 43 and 53 models, albeit with the help of electrification. Mercedes-AMG has already announced it will to go down this road, and adding an electric motor will make the already powerful engine even crazier.

Could it, as some suggest, eventually take over even the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 found in modern AMG 63s, producing around 600 horsepower? Sure, downsizing and electrification are all the rage in the industry right now, though that seems like a very long stretch, especially for high-end AMGs where, we presume, four-bangers won’t sit very well with customers right now.