Wednesday 20th March 2013

Mercedes CLA45 AMG leaked

Images of the new small hot Merc saloon arrive on the internet ahead of the car's official launch

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The new Mercedes CLA45 AMG has arrived! Well, sort of. While the car won’t officially be revealed until next week’s New York Motor Show, an extensive set of high-resolution images have arrived on the internet courtesy of a Russian automotive imagery website.

CLA45 shares visual cues with A45

Until now, all we’ve been treated to has been a partial reveal in the form of an image taken from upcoming computer game Driveclub, which features the CLA45. Whether this latest leak is ‘official’ or genuinely unintended is hard to say, but what is for sure is that nothing about the new car is left to the imagination, with the new hot CLA pictured from every angle and in fantastically high resolution. And it’s pretty much what we were expecting, too – an aggressive body kit, reminiscent of that fitted to the CLA250 Sport, but with a smattering of gloss black to set the full-fat AMG apart. Inside, meanwhile, a swathe of carbon fibre will dominate the dash, while stitching, seatbelts and detailing all in red will add to the 'schporty' ambience. The pictures also suggest, as we’d have expected, that the CLA45 will share the A45 AMG’s four-pot front brake calipers and 350mm front brake discs.

Interior to feature splashes of red

That’s not all it’ll share, of course – while production details have yet to be confirmed officially, the CLA45 looks set to use the same drivetrain as the A45, which means a 360hp 2.0-litre turbo, a Haldex-based 4Matic four-wheel-drive system, and the seven-speed dual-clutch Speedshift transmission. That should mean a 0-62 time somewhere in the region of 4.6 seconds, and a max speed limiter set at 155mph. And, if Tobias Moers – AMG’s chassis development guru – is to be believed, it’ll also mean the chassis and 4Matic system have been set up to allow you to have some fun with a gentle bias toward oversteer, rather than to promote outright grip uber alles. Jolly good.

Keep an eye out for more details, and full confirmation of the CLA45’s spec, as we get them next week.

[Source: AutoWP]

[Nick644]

If they could bring out an estate version and make the whole package exciting to drive, could be the perfect compromise between practicality and good looks and something a bit more interesting than the VAG derivatives

[JohnoVR6]

Such an oddly proportioned car. Reminds me of someone crushing a can between their hands the way it all bucks upward in the middle

Shame, as I like the idea of a junior CLS, just not the execution of it...

[Nick644]

JohnoVR6 said:

Such an oddly proportioned car. Reminds me of someone crushing a can between their hands the way it all bucks upward in the middle

Shame, as I like the idea of a junior CLS, just not the execution of it...

Hence an estate/shooting brake version would give better proportions and give better headroom in the rear

[andrew.delamare]

If its its chassis is tuned similar to the 4matic E63 AMG that Harris drove then this should be a pretty good car. Its a good looking car too.

[Slurms]

Nice idea, odd styling.. Just can't get past the looks of the rear 3rd

[Jim V-6]

I like that....Much better looking than the 1 series M Coupe.

Edited by Jim V-6 on Wednesday 20th March 11:20

Edited by Jim V-6 on Wednesday 20th March 11:21

[simonigrale]

I like that alot.

[Ali_T]

Bets on £40k....

[SrMoreno]

Ali_T said:

Bets on £40k....

Bets on LHD only....

[devnull]

leaked my arse.

[SrMoreno]

devnull said:

leaked my arse.

I suggest you see someone about that.

[Ali_T]

SrMoreno said:

Bets on LHD only....

The hatch will be RHD and their will be lower spec RHD models.

[SrMoreno]

Ali_T said:

The hatch will be RHD and their will be lower spec RHD models.

I'd be surprised to see a RHD 4Matic model that wasn't an SUV.

[FreiWild]

Now that's a chunky interior mirror, the whole assembly up at the top of the windscreen looks huge.

[Shifty Bloke]

The rear reminds me of Bruce's chin

[pauljames]

Can't help but think that interior look very ermm... cheap. Especially those halfords special stick on dash vents!

[anonymous-user]

For want of a better picture of the 5-series.

[SturdyHSV]

Mutema said:

For want of a better picture of the 5-series.

Completely different, the Merc has a petrol cap there. And it's white.

[Carnnoisseur]

I actually quite like that.....

[greggy50]

How much smaller than a 3 series is this?

As can see it being near enough as fast as the new M3 with those figures whilst being about 20k cheaper...