The son fights his father: new Mercedes-AMG A 45 S versus the old one

,
3.13K 1

The son fights his father. The all-new Mercedes-AMG A 45 S, introduced last fall at the Frankfurt Motor Show, comes face to face with its predecessor in an astonishing drag race that Audi RS3 Sportback also joins. The war of the compact cars has started.

There is little doubt concerning the supremacy of the Mercedes-AM A 45 S in the high-performance compact class. Only the M1 and the RS3 can keep up with the Mercedes-AMG hot hatch in the segment. But where does the new one stand when it meets its predecessor? A drag race was set up to clear things out.

The previous generation came with a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine that developed 381 horspower and 475 Nm of torque. The engine was coupled to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and to an all-wheel drive 4MATIC system. It took the model 4.2 seconds to run from a standstill to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) and it hit a top speed of 250 km/h.

Video: Mercedes-AMG A 45 S, barely faster than the Renault Megane RS?

The new kid in town is also powered by a 2.0-liter turbo engine with four-cylinder, the most potent one ever made for series production. It makes the car accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 3.9 seconds and the top speed is electronically limited at 270 km/h. An 8-speed automatic transmission and the 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive system channel 421 horsepower and 500 Nm of torque to all four wheels.

And then there is the intruder, the Audi RS3 Sportback, with its 2.5-liter turbo engine with 400 horsepower and 480 Nm of torque, a run from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.1 seconds and a top speed of 250 km/h.

Most expensive compact cars? Prices for the Mercedes-AMG A 45 and the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 released

So which one is the toughest and fastest? Do figures tell the correct story? There is only one way to find out: watch the video below: