In continuing the AMG offensive from Mercedes-AMG, the German brand took things to the streets, closed off a few roads in Sandton, pushed a few new compact products and saw who the Street King was.
Related: Check out our Mercedes-AMG reviews here
My esteemed colleague Lawrence Minnie attended the AMG Performance Tour event at Kyalami Racetrack recently, and you can check out his thoughts here.
You know Mercedes-AMG is pretty serious when roads closed off in Sandton to form a street circuit. It's not the first time the brand has done such with AMG Performance Tours, as something similar was done in the mid-2010s. With the Mercedes-Benz Sandton dealership as the event location and centre of the track, the occasion was filled with excitement and certainly a huge itch needed to be scratched, and that's where the updated A35 4MATIC and A45 S 4MATIC+ come in. You even had the choice of trying the tamer but still bitey A200.
The Updated Compacts
The A35 4MATIC and A45 S 4MATIC+ have received some significant updates. It's not just on the aesthetics front but in vehicle dynamics too. The A35 is essentially a mild hybrid equipped with a 48-volt auxiliary power supply and belt-driven starter-generator. This results in a power output of 225 kW and a maximum of 400 Nm. Cooling has also been upgraded with a new radiator upfront. You now also get an AMG SPEEDSHIFT 8-Speed dual-clutch transmission in the A35. Unfortunately, we didn't get to try the A35.
Then you get the creme de la creme A45 S. Here; you'll find a total output of 310 kW and 500 Nm from the 2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. This is the vehicle we sampled in our short stint. If this writer is being honest, when he put his foot down on the straight stretch, some choice expressions were let out. 'Rocket-like' is an understatement when it comes to the 3.9 second 0-100kmh sprint time. While all being in a compact body, the sense of speed in the A45 S is satisfying. The vehicle, although low, was well-dampened and able to handle the variating Sandton streets like a well-padded running shoe. The springs are on the slightly softer end to manage street driving conditions, this writer would be very keen to try this around a technical racetrack to see more of what the 4MATIC+ system can do here.
Seconds, please
Our time was short, unfortunately, but coming out of the A45 S left us wanting more and a stint in the other A-Class variants on offer as well. Overall, this was a great event and time well spent on a Sunday as these types of events are far and few, so bravo to Mercedes-AMG for holding this. We're very keen to have another go in the updated AMG compacts. If you're keen on the Mercedes-AMG models after reading this, you can search AutoTrader for the latest used and new offerings. While you're at it, why not fund that new A-Class purchase by selling your current car quick and easy using our Instant Offer tool?
