Keeping the new Mercedes A25 AMG hot hatch under wraps is proving to be more difficult than Mercedes-Benz had thought. One of the newest additions to the Mercedes AMG lineup, expected to be unveiled at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, was spied in souther Germany with little camouflage.
The latest spy photos show substantial updates compared to the standard A-Class syling, the most noticable being the massive AMG wheels. There is also an updated front end with slightly larger air intakes and an updated bumper for the AMG exhausts.
According to Autocar, the mega hatch is expected to be four-wheel drive with its power coming from a heavily modified version of Merc’s current M271/M274 petrol engine.
Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines, the German car maker’s Nottingham-based subsidiary that builds F1 engines, has been involved in the development of the 2.0-litre engine, which Merc insists will have a higher power output that the Audi’s 2.0-litre 335bhp unit doing duty in the RS3.
The new engine is also earmarked for the larger CLC25 AMG and CLC25 Shooting Brake AMG, both scheduled to be launched next year.