Remember when Mercedes-AMG teased the new A45? The "Not Another Christmas Video" was released on December 21 and showed the flagship version of the A-Class drifting on a track to demonstrate its tail-happy nature despite being based on a front-wheel-drive platform. The reason why we're bringing this up is because the prototype seen here is wearing the exact same type of funky camo as the A45 featured on video.
It's not even camouflage in the traditional sense taking into account the colorful body wrap is so thin that we can easily see through it. Take for example the generous air intakes, which although are partially hidden, it's pretty obvious they're more aggressive than those of the A35. We also know what's going on underneath that piece of camo between the headlights, with the production model set to adopt the Panamericana grille implemented on the larger "63" cars.
Moving at the back of the car, the A45 boasts quad exhausts and wears a roof-mounted spoiler bearing a striking resemblance to the one you'll find on the aforementioned A35. Those "vents" in the rear bumper are probably just for décor and don't serve an actual purpose other than lending the hot hatch a more muscular appearance.
The side profile reveals the car is riding extremely close to the ground on those weird wheels we've seen before. Thankfully, that won't be the only set available as the teaser video featured the A45 equipped with more conventionally styled alloys. You can tell this isn't an ordinary A-Class just by looking at the beefy brakes denoting there's something quite powerful lurking from underneath the hood.
The engine in question is a turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline unit expected to offer a healthy 382 horsepower in the regular A45 and as much as 416 hp in the even hotter A45 S. Mercedes-AMG has already confirmed a new variation of its 4Matic all-wheel-drive system that will allow drivers to powerslide the little beast, while the engine's power will be channeled to the road through a dual-clutch, eight-speed automatic transmission.
Mercedes-AMG hasn't announced when it will take the wraps off the next-gen A45, but with the 2019 Geneva Motor Show starting on March 5, the online premiere might just be right around the corner.
