Is the Mercedes A45 Hyper Hatch an All-Time Great?

Mercedes A45: a hyper hatch heading for retirement

Mercedes has confirmed that the A45 hyper hatch will be withdrawn next year. That was notable news for the compact performance-car world, so we asked whether you thought the A45 deserved to rank among the all-time greats. The answer, it seems, was largely no.

Kid Carspotting’s contribution attracted the most upvotes: “A great car, considering second-hand ones go for under £20k, and you’re getting a lot of power. But the nimble Mazda 3 has better styling and a smaller price tag.”

Teabag Towers was unconvinced by its hot-hatch credentials: “No, I don’t think it’s a great hot hatch. Mercedes approached the segment with a sledgehammer, which meant giving it a stupid amount of power and all-wheel drive. That’s good in a straight line, but in terms of handling, the first gen wasn’t great. Technically, it’s impressive getting 420bhp out of a 2.0-litre four-cylinder, but it just doesn’t appeal to me. There are more interesting hot hatches in the real world.”

The A45 as a product of the 2010s

David Howell offered a particularly strong reply: “For me, it ought to be remembered as an emblem of all sorts of the 2010s trends. Downsized engine with silly power outputs? Check. Finding new market niches? Check. All touch-screen interior? Check. Galaxy-brained driving experience, long on customisation and arguably short on natural feel? Check. Premium German brand stepping into new territory? Check. I don’t know if it’s an all-time great, or if that’s even the right question to ask of it. But as a four-wheeled timestamp? Almost unparalleled.”

Sebastian Van Cartier took a more nuanced stance: “Yes and no. It moved the category on as part of the first vanguard of German hyper hatches. It captured attention because of its numbers, and it has been a huge engineering accomplishment as such. In that respect, it’s significant. But IMO, it’s not one of the great driving machines. It’s too powerful and not agile enough. The W176 A250 AMG is the superior car; it’s lighter on its feet and more balanced, with less need to prove itself with big numbers. The 250 is a bit of an unsung hero, really, but that wouldn’t be a hall of famer for me either.”

Power versus driving character

Al Kim’s assessment was rather less measured: “The A45 does nothing for me. It’s a horsepower figure with a car very loosely attached, desperate for attention with obnoxious pops and bangs and loud claims about being more powerful than some Ferraris. Have we forgotten that Mitsubishi was getting 440bhp out of its limited edition Evos back in 2014?”

He continued: “The A45 uses brute force to get in front of the queue, while other great hatches have achieved their goals or overcome their particular challenges with clever engineering. The Focus RS had clever suspension and differentials to rein in its power-hungry front wheels. Renault went to town to make the Megane R26 lightweight. The Swift Sport and Abarth 500 were fun and funny despite having as much power as a Braun toothbrush. Some Civic Type Rs have been so brilliant to drive that they offset the looks. So tons of power, all-wheel drive and half-a-tonne of computers on-board? The A45 might as well have been an EV.”