Mercedes-AMG is taking its compact performance car into unfamiliar territory. The new CLA 45 4MATIC+ is electric, produces 680 horsepower and has already demonstrated what that combination can do with a Nürburgring Nordschleife record.
Now, buyers can order one.
Mercedes-Benz has opened the order books in Germany for both the CLA 45 4MATIC+ Saloon and Shooting Brake, with prices starting at €79,039 and €80,408 including VAT, respectively.
Der neue elektrische Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 4MATIC+.
Coupé:
Exterieur Farbe: MANUFAKTUR graphit grau magno
Interieur Polster: ARTICO/Microcut schwarz / racegelb
Energieverbrauch kombiniert: 18,7‒16,5 kWh/100 km | CO₂-Emissionen kombiniert: 0 g/km | CO₂-Klasse: A
Shooting Brake:
Exterieur Farbe: Aqua-Mint Uni
Interior Polster: ARTICO/Microcut schwarz
Energieverbrauch kombiniert: 19,6‒17,4 kWh/100 km | CO₂-Emissionen kombiniert: 0 g/km | CO₂-Klasse: A
Die Angaben sind vorläufig. Es liegen bislang weder bestätigte Werte von einer amtlich anerkannten Prüforganisation noch eine EG-Typgenehmigung noch eine Konformitätsbescheinigung mit amtlichen Werten vor. Abweichungen zwischen den Angaben und den amtlichen Werten sind möglich.;Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 4MATIC+ Limousine | Energieverbrauch kombiniert: 18,7-16,5 kWh/100 km | CO₂-Emissionen kombiniert: 0 g/km | CO₂-Klasse: A* | Mercedes AMG CLA 45 4MATIC+ Shooting Brake | Energieverbrauch kombiniert: 19,6–17,4 kWh/100 km | CO₂-Emissionen kombiniert: 0 g/km | CO₂-Klasse: A*
The new Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 4MATIC+ electric.
Coupé:
Exterior color: MANUFAKTUR graphite grey magno
Interior: ARTICO Microcut black / race yellow
Energy consumption combined: 18.7–16.5 kWh/100 km | Combined CO₂ emissions: 0 g/km | CO₂ class: A
Shooting Brake:
Exterior color: Aqua-mint non-metallic
Interior: ARTICO Microcut Black
Energy consumption combined: 19.6–17.4 kWh/100 km | Combined CO₂ emissions: 0 g/km | CO₂ class: A
The figures are provisional. To date, there are no confirmed figures from an officially recognised testing organisation, nor is there an EC type-approval or a certificate of conformity containing official figures. There may be discrepancies between the figures provided and the official figures.;Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 4MATIC+ Saloon | combined energy consumption: 18.7 – 16.5 kWh/100 km | combined CO2 emissions: 0 g/km | CO2 class: A* |Mercedes AMG CLA 45 4MATIC+ Shooting Brake | Combined energ
Those figures buy considerably more than an electrified successor to the previous CLA 45. AMG has effectively used the new model as a showcase for the performance potential of Mercedes-Benz’s latest electric architecture.
At the center of the CLA 45 are three independently controlled axial-flux electric motors producing a combined 500 kW, or 680 hp, along with 1,759 Nm—roughly 1,297 lb-ft—of maximum torque.
That output sends the CLA from zero to 100 km/h, or 62 mph, in a claimed 2.7 seconds when measured with a one-foot rollout.
More telling, perhaps, is what happened at the Nürburgring.
The CLA 45 recently completed the 12.9-mile Nordschleife in 7 minutes, 32.070 seconds, setting a segment record. For an electric compact car, the lap offers a more meaningful measure of AMG’s engineering ambitions than acceleration figures alone. Sustaining performance over the Nürburgring requires managing heat, braking, power delivery and chassis balance—not simply producing an impressive launch.
AMG’s solution begins with an 800-volt electrical architecture and the unusual three-motor layout. The motors allow the car to continuously vary torque between the front and rear axles, while the two rear motors can distribute power individually from one rear wheel to the other.
The result is a new version of AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive with torque vectoring built directly into the powertrain.
Chassis hardware has received similar attention. The CLA 45 uses AMG RIDE CONTROL suspension with steel springs and adaptive three-stage dampers. Mercedes-AMG says the wheel-guiding components, springs and dampers have all been substantially reworked to increase lateral performance while keeping the car predictable as it approaches its limits.
Aerodynamics are active rather than merely decorative.
The CLA 45 Saloon receives an active rear spoiler, while the Shooting Brake uses an active roof spoiler. Both can change angle depending on driving mode and conditions, reducing drag when efficiency matters or increasing downforce when additional stability is required.
Active shutters in the front grille work on the same principle. They remain closed when cooling demands allow, improving aerodynamic efficiency, and open when the powertrain requires additional airflow.
Despite the emphasis on performance, AMG has not abandoned range. Mercedes-Benz quotes a WLTP range of more than 670 kilometers—approximately 416 miles—for the Saloon. Energy consumption is rated at 16.5 to 18.7 kWh per 100 kilometers for the sedan and 17.4 to 19.6 kWh for the Shooting Brake.
At a sufficiently powerful DC fast charger, Mercedes says the battery can be replenished from 10% to 80% in 22 minutes.
The new CLA 45 arrives during Mercedes-Benz’s 140th anniversary year, but its significance has considerably more to do with the company’s next decade than its previous fourteen.
For AMG in particular, the question surrounding electrification has never been whether electric motors can make big numbers. They can. The challenge is whether an electric AMG can deliver the responsiveness, repeatability and sense of control that made the badge desirable in the first place.
A 680-hp specification gets attention. A 7:32 lap of the Nordschleife suggests AMG is interested in proving there is more behind it.
