NEWS – Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 : 680 Horsepower! We Didn’t See This Power Explosion Coming

Mercedes has just unveiled its new CLA 45 AMG 4MATIC+, and we expected a more sensible, more restrained sports car, perhaps even one less exciting than the explosive CLA 45 S and its 421 horsepower four-cylinder engine. The reality, however, is very different. In fact, it is almost hard to believe: the new Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 4MATIC+ now delivers an astonishing 680 horsepower.

Yes, you read that correctly. Affalterbach’s compact performance model gains nearly 260 horsepower compared to the previous CLA 45 S and enters an entirely new league. With a claimed 0 to 100 km/h time of just 2.7 seconds, it now sits closer to supercars than to traditional hot sedans.

To achieve these figures, Mercedes-AMG completely abandons the famous 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine in favour of an architecture based on three axial-flux electric motors, two mounted on the rear axle and one at the front. It is technology directly derived from AMG’s flagship performance models.

This new CLA is not only more powerful, it is also considerably more sophisticated. It features a fully variable all-wheel-drive system, torque vectoring between the rear wheels, adaptive AMG RIDE CONTROL suspension and active aerodynamics, including an active rear spoiler on the sedan and an active roof spoiler on the Shooting Brake, features previously unheard of in this segment.

Visually, Mercedes-AMG has also made sure the new generation stands apart from its predecessor. The front end adopts a modern interpretation of the iconic Panamericana grille, while wider fenders, wheels up to 20 inches and a more aggressive rear diffuser further enhance its road presence. It is hard to believe this is still AMG’s smallest four-door performance model.

The other surprise comes from its range. Despite its outrageous performance figures, the new CLA 45 promises up to 670 kilometres of WLTP range thanks to its 94 kWh battery pack and 800-volt architecture capable of charging at up to 330 kW. Just ten minutes of charging is enough to recover more than 270 kilometres of driving range.

Mercedes-AMG will offer its new electric powerhouse in both Sedan and Shooting Brake body styles. One thing is certain: with this 680-horsepower CLA 45, Affalterbach may well have redefined what a compact performance car can be in 2026. And honestly, nobody saw it coming.