Mercedes-AMG A45 S Final Edition Says Auf Wiedersehen To The Hot Hatch

The inevitable has happened. Mercedes is killing off the A45 S after launching this generation of the hot hatch in mid-2019. Before the pocket rocket drives off into the proverbial sunset, a Final Edition marks the end of the line with a host of cosmetic and aerodynamic upgrades that help it stand out. It looks suspiciously similar to the Limited Edition launched a couple of years ago, thankfully without the John Deere-inspired livery.

The A45 S Final Edition stands out with Mountain Grey Magno paint featuring a matte finish from the Manufaktur color palette, paired with black door handles and matte 19-inch wheels. The brake calipers are also finished in black, as is the rear badging. The dark treatment extends to the side mirror caps and quad exhaust tips.

Yellow exterior accents and a silver chrome fuel filler cap provide contrast, while the oversized “45 S” logos emphasize this isn’t a run-of-the-mill A-Class. Mercedes also includes the AMG Aerodynamics Package, which adds a more aggressive front splitter and a larger rear spoiler. The A45 S swan song also gets front canards and a high-gloss black diffuser.

The interior appears nearly identical to that of the Limited Edition we mentioned earlier, carrying over the yellow exterior accents into the cabin. Hard-to-miss “45 S” logos are embroidered into the front seats, while the center console features a “45 S Final Edition” badge to signal it’s the last of its kind. Aluminum trim, artificial leather upholstery, black AMG door sill panels, and a Nappa leather-wrapped steering wheel all come as standard.

There are no changes underneath the hood, where the AMG A45 S Final Edition continues to feature the world’s most powerful four-cylinder engine ever installed in a series-production car. It produces 416 hp and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm), enabling a 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) sprint in 3.9 seconds before topping out at an electronically limited 168 mph (270 km/h).

The “M139” engine is shared with the ill-fated AMG C63, where the turbocharged 2.0-liter engine is mounted longitudinally and produces an even higher 469 hp. As in the regular AMG A45 S, the Final Edition sends output to all four wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission with variable torque distribution for the rear axle.

Mercedes is asking £67,965 for the Final Edition in the UK, where the lesser A35 remains on sale for a more reasonable £48,030. The company is developing a successor to the A-Class, but it’s unclear whether an AMG variant with a combustion engine is in the pipeline. Given increasingly stringent emissions regulations, we wouldn’t count on it. After all, the new AMG CLA 45 is exclusively electric.

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Source: Mercedes-Benz

Motor1’s Take: The A45 S Final Edition is another nail in the hot hatch’s coffin. There were rumors that Mercedes would retire the car because of the upcoming Euro 7 emissions standard, but those were never confirmed. Regardless of why it’s bowing out, it’s sad to see the list of available hot hatches in Europe grow even shorter.

We can at least take comfort in knowing the BMW M135 xDrive is still around, as are the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Golf R, along with their Cupra Leon counterparts. For those willing to go electric, there are plenty of options, including the Alpine A290, Abarth 500e, and Cupra Born VZ.