Mercedes-AMG Unveils Ultra-Fast Electric CLA

Mercedes-AMG has unveiled the electric CLA 45 4Matic+ as its most powerful compact performance model yet.

The new electric flagship produces 500kW and 1 759Nm of torque.

That gives it supercar-level acceleration, with Mercedes-AMG claiming a 0-100km/h time of just 2.7 seconds.

The CLA 45 4Matic+ will be offered in sedan and Shooting Brake body styles.

It is powered by three axial-flux electric motors, with two driving the rear axle and one positioned at the front.

The setup gives the CLA 45 fully variable all-wheel drive with torque vectoring.

Mercedes says the compact axial-flux motors offer higher power density than conventional electric motors.

The car uses a 94kWh battery with an 800V electrical architecture.

Mercedes claims a driving range of up to 670km for the saloon and 640km for the Shooting Brake.

DC fast charging at up to 330kW can take the battery from 10% to 80% in 22 minutes.

A 10-minute charge can add more than 270km of range.

Mercedes-AMG has also tried to preserve some of the emotion of its petrol-powered performance cars.

The CLA 45 features an AMGFORCE S+ driving mode that recreates the sound, vibration and simulated gear changes of a high-performance petrol engine.

Engineers used more than 1 600 recordings of an AMG A 45 S to create the experience.

The car also gets adaptive suspension, active rear aerodynamics and seven driving modes.

An AMG Track Pace system records more than 80 vehicle parameters 10 times per second for track analysis.

Inside, the CLA 45 debuts a fourth-generation MBUX infotainment system.

The system is based on Mercedes-Benz’s new operating system.

It integrates AI from ChatGPT, Microsoft Bing and Google Gemini to power a more conversational voice assistant.

AMG-specific performance applications are also included.

Deliveries of the CLA 45 4Matic+ will begin next year.

Prices have not yet been confirmed.

There is also no confirmation yet on whether the model will be offered in South Africa.

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