Mercedes-Benz AMG CLA 45 2.0 Review: Four door mayhem

What we like:

Beautiful and elegant mini-CLS body backed up with almost identical performance of the A 45 AMG. Same awesome exhaust note as the hatchback.

What we dislike:

Cramped rear seat and small door aperture.

Despite boosted up to 1.8 bar, the engine maintains tractability long as your revs are kept above 2,250rpm. Typical of highly tuned engines of this type, the car feels lethargic outside of its optimum boost range. However with the gearbox in Sport mode, it does a good job of keeping the engine tractable within its optimum range.

While the ride remains just as busy as the standard CLA, it is however much more forgivable considering the even trade of comfort for cornering performance. Like in the A 45 AMG, the engineers tuned the damping to commensurate with the speed in which it approaches bumps. Even when travelling at the speed limit in the KPE, the car felt more composed when the speed was increased. And was comparatively more comfortable than when travelling at a lower speed.

Despite it being an ‘entry-level’ AMG, the hallmarks of Affalterbach are still there. Both the CLA 45 and A 45 AMG can stand tall next to AMG’s V8 brutes. AMG's ability to create the same sort of volume and intensity to match their more esteemed models from a humble 2.0-litre four cylinder is commendable.

The company's philosophy of ‘one man, one engine’ remains true even in this entry-level model and it is something that competitors are unable to offer. That’s what makes this Affalterbach product that little bit more special than the rest.

Putting all that awesome performance into the CLA body has made AMG ownership more accessible to those who expect a reasonable amount of practicality with their fast Mercedes.

Credits: Story and Photos by Benjamin G. Kline