The 2.0-litre engine of the Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG will be used in other models

The most powerful series-production 2.0-litre four-cylinder currently resides in the Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG and, in its best form, delivers a very healthy 421 CV and 500 Nm of peak torque, sent to all four wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.

This allows the new generation of the Mercedes-Benz A45 S and the Mercedes-Benz CLA 45 S to sit at the top of the food chain in the compact segment, outperforming key rivals from Audi and BMW. But why did they go to such great lengths (and expense) only to limit the offer to the top-spec versions of the new A-Class and CLA? Well, according to PaulTan, quoting AMG boss Tobias Moers, there is much more to it than that.

At the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show, where both 45 S models were on display, Moers said that “the reason [it produces so much power] is that we are going to use it for other applications, which are not necessarily Eastern applications. Western applications.” In plain English, he confirmed that it can also be mounted longitudinally, as opposed to the transverse application in the A45 and CLA 45, thus opening the door to numerous possibilities.

However, it probably won’t give birth to a C45 or an E45, but it could replace the ICE units of the 43 and 53 models, albeit with the help of electrification. Mercedes-AMG has already announced that it will go down this road, and adding an electric motor will make the already powerful engine even crazier.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYzo0TPnH0o

The engine of the Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG will be fitted to other models

Could it, as some suggest, eventually take over even the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 found in the modern AMG 63, producing around 600 horsepower? Sure, downsizing and electrification are all the rage in the industry right now, though that seems like a very long stretch, especially for high-end AMGs where, we assume, four cylinders won’t sit very well with customers at this point.

Whatever the case, we won’t have to wait long before seeing the direction AMG will take for its future. Daimler chairman Ola Källenius told us the company will show “some ideas” for the brand later this year. Speaking about the future of the performance brand, Källenius pointed out that “we have to reach the point where propulsion methods are not considered important, because AMG is about the customer experience.”

“That is why we are starting to work not only on electrified AMG, but also on our first fully electric AMGs.” Mercedes-AMG has already begun work evaluating its first series-production electric performance car, as CEO Ola Källenius revealed, although he has declined to give details.