We've gotten a few sneak peeks at the upcoming 2020 Mercedes-AMG A 45 hatchback, and so far every look has included a huge rear wing along with a front spoiler and canards. But these latest spy shots show the luxury hot hatch testing at the Nürburgring sans wing and other aerodynamic parts. But it does feature a ducktail rear spoiler of some sort, and the full rear diffuser is still present. It's also definitely an A 45 as it has quad tailpipes.
What we're looking at may be one of two things, or possibly both of them. On the one hand, it could simply be the usual 420-horsepower Mercedes-AMG A 45 we've been expecting, but Mercedes is testing it with a more subtle styling package for those that want to be stealthier. That's in line with how Mercedes has marketed its past small AMG products such as the AMG GLA 45, which has an optional package with a big rear wing. On the other hand, this could be the slightly lower-power A 45 that has been rumored with about 390 horsepower, and its more subtle bodywork is a nod to it being less potent. And there's also the possibility it's that low-power version but without an optional wing. After all, the even less potent A 35 features a big wing.
We probably won't see either version of the hatchback in the U.S., though. Instead, we'll be getting the new CLA 45 and the GLA 45. An A 45 sedan is still up in the air, which is understandable since the CLA 45 already covers the sedan side of the equation. In any case, AMG boss Tobias Moers confirmed that the 45 models will have that aforementioned 420-horsepower engine coupled to an 8-speed automatic and updated all-wheel-drive system.
