- The first electric Mercedes-AMG CLA is powered by three axial flux motors.
- The new AMG CLA 45 comes in both sedan and wagon body styles.
- The sedan covers 416 miles on a single charge, or 19 miles more than the wagon.
The AMG CLA 45 has returned, but not as you remember it. Gone is the turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline engine, replaced by a tri-motor setup. Although the CLA sits at the bottom of the Mercedes sedan hierarchy, its performance is anything but entry-level. It borrows axial-flux motor technology from the AMG GT 4-Door Coupe in a compact package available as both a sedan and a wagon.
Combining the front-mounted motor with the two rear motors yields a peak system output of 680 horsepower. The continuous output delivered by the three electric motors is predictably lower, at 612 hp. Nevertheless, that’s still mighty impressive for an EV in this segment and well above the 416 hp produced by the four-cylinder engine in the gasoline-powered AMG CLA 45.
The torque figure is even more staggering: a mountain-moving 1,298 pound-feet (1,759 Newton-meters). That’s more than triple the 369 lb-ft (500 Nm) generated by the old AMG CLA 45’s engine, the most powerful four-cylinder ever installed in a series-production car. If you’re wondering whether the two cars have anything in common besides the name, both feature fully variable 4Matic all-wheel drive, but that’s where the similarities end.
Photo by: Mercedes-Benz
Performance figures are predictably impressive. Whether it’s the sedan or the wagon, the new AMG-ified CLA hits 62 mph (100 km/h) in three seconds flat. Sporty EVs have been criticized for their lower top speeds, but that shouldn’t be the case here, since the cars max out at a respectable 168 mph (270 km/h) if you opt for the AMG Dynamic Plus Package. Even without it, 155 mph (250 km/h) is nothing to sneeze at.
This is a developing story…
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Source: Mercedes-Benz
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