Buyers to wait for Mercedes AMG A45

MASSIVE demand for the Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG has pushed deliveries out to early next year, and the forthcoming CLA version looks set to experience similar demand when it arrives in October.

Mercedes-Benz Australia said buyers placing an order for its hottest small hatch won’t take delivery until February or March next year.

The A45 AMG firebrand officially launches locally in September starting from $74,900 plus on-road costs, while the CLA45 AMG will command a $12,00 premium.

Mercedes-Benz Australia manager of corporate communications Jerry Stamoulis told GoAuto he was not surprised by the level of interest given the performance credentials on the table.

Both the A-Class and CLA AMG models are powered by the same 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder producing 265kW/450Nm for a 4.6-second 0-100km/h sprint time.

“When you’ve got a vehicle that does what it does for the price, there is nothing I know of that can do what it does for the price,” he said.

While Mr Stamoulis said the A45 AMG was sold out until “roughly February”, he confirmed that between 200 and 300 examples of the pocket rocket will be delivered to customers by the end of this year.

Mr Stamoulis said demand for both cars was high, but would not be draw on which model he thought would be more popular long-term.

“I don’t think anyone is willing to say that one will be more popular than the other because we are talking roughly $12,000 difference between the two.

“But obviously the look of the CLA and what it offers, at this stage we are seeing high enquiry, but that could also be because we have just announced pricing. So I think mid next year we will be able to say one is more popular than the other,” he said.

Mercedes-Benz has shifted 1636 A-Class’s since the vehicle launched in March this year and Mr Stamoulis predicted continued demand for the premium hatch range throughout the rest of the year.

“Our stock situation is probably better than we thought, but the demand is certainly still outstripping supply, without a doubt.”

Mr Stamoulis said the popularity of the CLA45 leading up to launch comes down to the positioning of the vehicle in the market, compared with other high performance offerings.

“Some of the feedback we are getting is that it’s an opportunity to get into an AMG sedan with amazing performance that most people have never had from a brand new car, under warranty.”

The CLA45 arrives in Australia in October along with the rest of the four-door CLA range that includes the entry-level CLA200 from $49,900 and sportier CLA250 from $63,400.