Mercedes-AMG puts the A 45 S on the home straight, but leaves its 310 kW hardware untouched

## The Final Edition bows out with styling, not engineering

Mercedes-AMG announced the Final Edition on 27 July 2026, describing it as sending the A 45 S onto the home straight. The wording points towards the model’s approaching departure, but the company has not announced an end-of-production date, a production limit for the edition or a potential successor. There is therefore no basis yet for calling it a numbered limited run or treating the end of A 45 S production as officially confirmed.

Buyers can choose either matt MANUFAKTUR Mountain Grey Magno or solid Night Black. Dark-chrome door handles, matt-black 19-inch forged AMG wheels and centre caps with yellow AMG logos give the car an immediately recognisable special-edition appearance. The gloss-black brake callipers carry white AMG lettering.

The Final Edition also includes the AMG Night Package and AMG Night Package II. Together, they bring gloss-black or dark-chrome finishes to the mirror housings, exterior trim, exhaust outlets, radiator-grille details and model badges.

Large yellow-and-black “45 S” door graphics are optional. The same applies to the AMG Aerodynamics Package, which adds a larger front splitter, additional flics, a roof spoiler, airflow-control elements on the rear bumper and a gloss-black diffuser blade. Developed in the wind tunnel, the components are intended to improve high-speed stability as well as sharpen the car’s appearance.

## The seats combine synthetic leather with microfibre

An earlier version of the article described the interior materials incorrectly. The AMG Performance seats combine black ARTICO man-made leather with MICROCUT microfibre, rather than genuine leather with a synthetic alternative.

Yellow stitching, “45 S” emblems embroidered into the front head restraints and a “45 S Final Edition” badge on the centre console continue the exterior colour scheme. The steering wheel, trimmed in Nappa leather and MICROCUT microfibre, also receives yellow stitching. Aluminium trim with an AMG pattern, black illuminated door sills and edition-specific floor mats complete the package.

In Germany, the surcharge for the Final Edition equipment ranges from €6,074.95 to €10,091.20 including VAT. The highest figure includes the AMG Aerodynamics Package and large door graphics, but excludes delivery or factory-collection charges. The Austrian prices of €7,300 to €9,660 quoted in an earlier version did not match the official announcement.

## The two-litre engine still produces 310 kW

The hand-assembled M139 remains under the bonnet. The 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine produces 310 kW and 500 Nm, giving it a specific output of almost 156 kW per litre. AMG describes it as the world’s most powerful turbocharged four-cylinder engine in series production.

An eight-speed AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT-8G dual-clutch transmission sends power to the fully variable AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel-drive system. AMG TORQUE CONTROL varies drive torque between the left- and right-hand rear wheels, sharpening the car’s cornering response and underpinning its Drift Mode.

The A 45 S accelerates from 0–100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and reaches an electronically limited top speed of 270 km/h. Its WLTP fuel consumption is rated at 9.0–9.2 l/100 km, with CO₂ emissions of 205–209 g/km. The Final Edition changes none of those figures.

## The Audi RS 3 has less power, but is marginally quicker

The A 45 S retains the power crown among current series-production four-cylinder hot hatchbacks, but it is not the quickest car in its class. The Audi RS 3 Sportback’s 2.5-litre turbocharged five-cylinder engine produces 294 kW and 500 Nm. Despite having less power, the Audi reaches 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds and can achieve 290 km/h with the RS dynamic package and ceramic brakes.

The Volkswagen Golf R is considerably more restrained, with 245 kW and 420 Nm. It takes 4.6 seconds to reach 100 km/h. The Golf offers less drama and power, but represents a more traditional, everyday interpretation of the hot-hatch formula.

The A 45 S occupies an unusual middle ground between the two. The Audi offers a more exotic five-cylinder engine and marginally stronger straight-line performance, while the Golf R provides a simpler, more everyday-focused package. Mercedes counters with exceptional specific output, a sophisticated all-wheel-drive system and an intensity that borders on sports-car territory.

## The name promises finality, but Mercedes leaves the door open

The Final Edition’s greatest weakness is how little it changes technically. AMG adds no power, leaves the drivetrain untouched and offers no bespoke chassis tuning. Buyers are paying up to €10,091.20 for styling, edition-specific details and bundled equipment rather than extra performance.

Then again, the A 45 S does not necessarily need one final power increase. A 310 kW two-litre engine, a 3.9-second sprint to 100 km/h and an all-wheel-drive system capable of varying torque across the rear axle are still enough to challenge Europe’s fastest compact performance cars.

The more important question concerns its successor. The official announcement confirms neither a new A-Class nor a successor to the A 45, whether combustion-powered or electric. The Final Edition should therefore be viewed as the closing flourish for the current model, not as proof that AMG’s entire hot-hatch lineage is ending.

The Final Edition is not a new technical chapter. It is an expensive wrapper around a familiar car. Yet the car beneath it remains remarkable: few manufacturers have extracted 310 kW from a two-litre four-cylinder engine and built such a sophisticated, ferociously quick hot hatch around it.