Mercedes-AMG has revealed the CLA 45 4MATIC+, an electric compact sports sedan powered by three axial flux motors producing a combined 500 kW (680 hp), with a quoted 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) time of 2.7 seconds with one-foot rollout, or 3.0 seconds without. The car launches in two body styles, a sedan and a Shooting Brake, and shares its architecture with the Mercedes-Benz CLA, which was named 2026 European Car of the Year and was the safest car Euro NCAP tested in 2025.
The drive system uses the axial flux motors that debuted in the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe, two on the rear axle and one on the front. Unlike conventional electric motors, axial flux units align the electromagnetic flux parallel to the motor’s axis, with the stator sandwiched between two rotors in flat discs, allowing very compact packaging: the front motor is about 3.5 inches wide and each rear motor about 3.1 inches. The rear pair alone produces up to 500 kW, while the front unit acts as a booster motor delivering up to 225 kW (360 hp), with a disconnect unit that decouples it under low load to cut drag losses. Each axle’s motors are packaged into a High Performance Electric Drive Unit with oil-cooled motors and gearboxes and water-cooled silicon carbide inverters. Total system torque is 1,297 lb-ft (1,759 Nm), and continuous output is rated at 450 kW (612 hp). The three independently controlled motors enable fully variable front-to-rear torque distribution plus torque vectoring between the rear wheels, and the car can run pure rear-wheel drive depending on mode. Top speed is 155 mph (250 km/h), or 168 mph (270 km/h) with the AMG DYNAMIC PLUS package.
Energy comes from a 94 kWh lithium-ion battery running an 800-volt architecture. The cells mix silicon oxide into the graphite anodes, which Mercedes-AMG says raises gravimetric energy density by up to 20 percent over conventional graphite cells, with a volumetric density of 680 Wh/l. WLTP range is quoted at more than 416 miles (670 km) for the sedan and more than 398 miles (640 km) for the Shooting Brake. DC fast charging peaks at 330 kW, taking the battery from 10 to 80 percent in 22 minutes, with 10 minutes adding more than 168 miles (270 km) of range. AC charging runs up to 22 kW, and a standard multi-source heat pump preconditions the battery using ambient air, powertrain waste heat and the battery itself.
The chassis pairs AMG RIDE CONTROL steel-spring suspension with adaptive three-way damping, a three-link front axle with forged aluminum links and a multi-link rear. Damping is selectable across Comfort, Sport and AMGFORCE S+ settings, and the car offers six drive modes, Slippery, Comfort, Sport, AMGFORCE S+, ECO and Individual, with a RACE mode added by the AMG DYNAMIC PLUS package including launch control. AMGFORCE S+ simulates a combustion AMG four-cylinder, with gear changes that interrupt traction like an AMG SPEEDSHIFT transmission, paddle shifting, seat shaker vibrations and a rev counter display. The sound was sampled from a Mercedes-AMG A 45 S using 13 microphones across more than 1,600 recordings rather than synthesized. Braking relies primarily on energy recovery at up to 5 m/s² across five selectable levels, backed by a hydraulic system with 15.4-inch (390 mm) ventilated front discs with six-piston fixed calipers and 13.8-inch (350 mm) rear discs with single-piston floating calipers.
Active aerodynamics are a class first, with an active rear spoiler on the sedan and an active roof-edge spoiler on the Shooting Brake that deploy above 90 mph (145 km/h) in ECO, Comfort and Sport modes, or immediately in AMGFORCE S+ and RACE. Active radiator fins can stay closed at up to nearly 155 mph and open in eight stages based on cooling demand. The sedan’s drag coefficient is 0.23 and the Shooting Brake’s 0.26. Exterior details include an AMG grille with ten vertical Panamericana slats, an optional illuminated grille with a continuous light strip, widened front fenders, a standard heat-reflective glass roof and a six-fin rear diffuser. Standard wheels are 19 inches with 245/40ZR19 front and 265/40ZR19 rear tires, with optional 20-inch alloys or forged wheels wearing 255/35ZR20 and 275/35ZR20.
Inside, the strict four-seat cabin runs the fourth-generation MBUX system on the MB.OS platform, the first automotive infotainment to integrate AI from ChatGPT, Microsoft Bing and Google Gemini. AMG-specific apps include the AMG PERFORMANCE MENU for real-time power, temperature and lateral-g data, AMG SET-UP for configuring drive programs and sound, and AMG TRACK PACE, which logs more than 80 data points ten times per second, comes preloaded with circuits including the Nürburgring and Spa-Francorchamps, and projects braking points and racing lines in the head-up display. A Predictive Performance Manager adjusts energy deployment section by section for lap-time consistency, and an optional dashcam records track footage with telemetry overlays where available. Standard seat shakers, sport seats in ARTICO and MICROCUT microfiber with red stitching, and optional AMG Performance seats with integrated headrests and climate control round out the cabin. Curb weight is 5,027 lb (2,280 kg DIN) for the sedan and 5,060 lb (2,295 kg DIN) for the Shooting Brake, with trunk capacities of 13.8 and 15.9 cubic feet respectively, plus a front trunk.
Gallery
