Announced July 2026, on sale to order now
Sadly, we are about to wave off another great one as electric power creeps ever closer to being the only option. The Mercedes-AMG A45 S Final Edition is, as the name suggests, the last hurrah before the car bows out to the incoming Euro 7 emissions rules. Rumour has it Mercedes decided it would simply be too costly to re-engineer the car to comply, and it is not all bad news, as the cheaper A35 soldiers on for now. But the big story here is the engine: the hand-built M139, still the most powerful four-cylinder ever put into series production, is both the reason the A45 S is so ferocious and the reason it is being put out to pasture.
| Mercedes-AMG A45 S Final Edition | key specs |
|---|---|
| Engine | 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder (M139), hand-built |
| Power | 416bhp (421 PS) |
| Torque | 500Nm |
| 0 to 62mph | 3.9 seconds |
| Top speed | 168mph (electronically limited) |
| Transmission | 8-speed AMG Speedshift DCT, AMG Performance 4Matic+ AWD |
| Price | £67,965 |
The Mercedes-AMG A45 S – Subtle Hints of Power
The Final Edition is a subtly impressive-looking car that instantly stakes its claim to be a bit of a powerhouse. MANUFAKTUR Mountain Grey Magno paintwork in a matte finish is offset by striking yellow accents that run around the car. Perhaps less subtle are the full-on 45 S decals on each door, though at this price I would suspect you could opt out of them. Aside from the yellow, everything else is of a subdued hue: Dark Chrome door handles match the bodywork, along with matte black forged wheels that carry an AMG logo in the centre in yellow.
Complete with Night Package and AMG Aerodynamics Package
The A45 S Final Edition features Mercedes-AMG’s Night Package, which adds gloss black trim strips and Dark Chrome tailpipe trims. More striking is the AMG Aerodynamics Package that the Final Edition also wears: a gloss black roof spoiler, a front apron with an enlarged splitter, small canards and a diffuser element, all developed to improve stability at speed.
Impressive AMG Interior
Inside, the yellow theme is brought into the dark cabin to add a welcome pop of colour, with AMG Performance seats trimmed in black Artico man-made leather and Microcut microfibre and bright piping down either side. There is a 45 S Final Edition emblem on the centre console, illuminated AMG door sills and matching floor mats, just so nobody forgets which one they are in. The AMG Performance steering wheel is a lovely touch too, adding a more tactile feel to proceedings. The interior looks as fine as the exterior, the two complementing each other perfectly.
AMG A45 S Final Edition Power
The much-loved engine bows out on a high, with a 0-62mph of 3.9 seconds, 416bhp, 500Nm of torque and a top speed pegged at 168mph. Every one of these M139s is bolted together by a single technician at Affalterbach under AMG’s “one man, one engine” rule, and even now, seven years on, nothing else in series production gets near its output per litre. Power reaches all four wheels through the responsive AMG Speedshift 8-speed dual-clutch box and AMG Performance 4Matic+, drift mode and all.
So What Replaces It?
Nothing with a piston, as it happens. Once the A35 and A45 retire, the electric CLA 45 becomes the way into AMG, trading the four-pot for three electric motors and a combined 671bhp. Progress, of a sort. It is worth remembering what is ending here, too: the A45 was AMG’s first proper hot hatch and its first four-cylinder car, and over two generations it went from slightly awkward premium novelty to one of the very best fast hatches money could buy.
Naturally, the Mercedes-AMG A45 S Final Edition is going to strain the wallet a little at around £67,965, but then the standard A45 S was never much cheaper. For the last of the breed, and the last of that engine, plenty will decide it is worth every penny.
Mercedes-AMG A45 S Final Edition: Your Questions Answered
Its M139 engine cannot be made to meet the incoming Euro 7 emissions rules, and re-engineering it was judged too costly. It is regulation, not a lack of demand, that is retiring the car.
No. It is mechanically identical: 416bhp, 500Nm, 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds and a 168mph limit. The changes are paint, trim and aero.
£67,965 in the UK, before options.
The electric CLA 45, which uses three electric motors for a combined 671bhp and becomes AMG’s new entry point.
Yes, for now, at £48,030, though it faces the same emissions pressure and is expected to bow out in time.
It is hand-built one engine per technician at Affalterbach, and remains the most powerful four-cylinder ever fitted to a series-production car.
Images: mercedes-amg.com, mercedes-benz.com
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