Last year's Mercedes-AMG CLA45 S Final Edition marked the end of the luxury sport compact sedan's second generation. The send-off model was made in limited numbers, bore special graphics, and produced 416 horsepower. Roughly a year later, the AMG CLA45 has returned, this time as an EV with a trio of axial-flux motors in the place of the old turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
Considering this is an AMG model, the powertrain is the main story. As long as you don't shy away when you hear the word electric, we think you'll find something to like about this one. The trio of electric motors (two on the rear axle, one on the front) combines to produce a maximum temporary output of 670 horsepower and a continuous output of 603 ponies. That's enough power to launch the new CLA EV to 62 mph in 2.7 ticks—or a full second quicker than the last CLA45 we tested, though that was back when the model only made 382 horsepower.
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If top speed numbers are your thing, the AMG CLA EV's figures are nothing to scoff at. With the AMG Dynamic Plus Package, the new CLA45 tops out at 167 mph, though that number falls to 155 mph without the package. If those figures don't excite, Mercedes is hoping that the EV powertrain's fake gear shifts, seat shakers, and engine sounds will get you all steamy. Rather than create fake engine noises, Mercedes engineers recorded an AMG four-cylinder in all sorts of scenarios to provide more than 1600 audio files for any driving situation.
That aforementioned trio of motors pulls from a 94-kWh battery, which, the automaker claims, is good for 416 miles of range in sedan form and 397 miles of range in Shooting Brake guise. Those numbers are on the more favorable European WLTP test, though, and we think EPA numbers would be closer to 353 miles and 338 miles, respectively. In any event, the new AMG CLA is a decently quick charger, with Mercedes quoting a maximum charge rate of 330 kW, good enough to go from 10 to 80 percent in 22 minutes.
Unfortunately, for as much as we'd like the chance to test the electric AMG CLA45, a representative for Mercedes told Car and Driver that the model won't be sold in the United States. Instead, we'll have to be content with the more economical CLA-class EV options.
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Jack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1.
After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf.
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