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Mercedes-AMG previews 400-hp 2019 A45 hot hatch

Mercedes-AMG previews 400-hp 2019 A45 hot hatch

The A45's powertrain will make its way to the CLA.

Mercedes-AMG has released a teaser video to preview the next-generation A45. Aimed directly at the Audi RS 3 and the BMW M2, the hot-rodded A-Class will likely make its global debut during the 2019 Geneva auto show.

The minute-long video shows the A45 drifting around a track in Germany. It's fully covered in a colorful camouflage, but we can tell it wears an AMG-specific body kit that includes a deeper front bumper, side skirts, and a sizable roof-mounted wing. The front end receives the Panamericana grille already seen on other AMG models, while the back end gets an air diffuser flanked by quad exhaust outlets.

The video doesn't dive into technical details. British magazine Auto Express believes power comes from a turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine tuned to deliver over 400 horsepower to the four wheels through a dual-clutch automatic transmission and Mercedes' 4Matic all-wheel drive system. If those specifications are accurate, the A45 will boast an impressive output of over 200 horsepower per liter of displacement.

We expect to learn more about the 2019 Mercedes-AMG A45 in the coming weeks. The hatchback won't make its way to American showrooms, however. We're getting the A-Class for the first time, but it's a sedan and an AMG-built model hasn't been confirmed yet. The A45's powertrain will find its way under the performance-oriented variants of the second-generation CLA -- which will make its debut during CES 2019 -- and the next GLA.