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-   -   Life with a Mercedes-AMG A45 in Australia (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/international-automotive-scene/179816-life-mercedes-amg-a45-australia.html)

It all started in 2013 when the totally re-designed A-class came out. I have always wanted one, but I had a great car (my Alfa Giulietta) which I had bought only a year before (in 2012). So held on till I couldn't hold on anymore! I got a new job and decided to finally get the A45. Put down a deposit of $5000 at the local Mercedes dealer here in February 2015. My car was all set to arrive in April, however, Mercedes decided to refresh the model and the rumor mill was that the new A45 would be even quicker.

I decided to hold off on getting the car and asked the dealer to change it to the new spec. car. Remember, at this point, even the dealer did not know anything - they had no idea when the new car would be launched, nor did they know any specifications; including the price.

The waiting game began, till finally in August 2015, Mercedes Benz Australia released the specifications for the refreshed A-class. Only downside was that my car would only be built in January 2016, with an estimated delivery in March 2016!

However, things seemed to have progressed sooner than expected, and my car arrived on the 7th of February.

First impressions:

Hopping in the car, everything was very familiar (I drive my dad's C250 a lot, and nowadays all Mercs have the same layout inside). I love the look of the new steering wheel though, which is more modern and in AMG trim is lined with suede to help with grip, and a new 8.0-inch media screen.

There is a new knob in the car that governs the behaviour of the car; the AMG Dynamic Select driving mode controller, which allows the driver to choose between Comfort, Sport, Sport+, Individual and, my favourite, Race mode. Each setting adjusts the steering calibration, throttle sharpness, gearbox reactivity and suspension damping, because the A45 now comes with standard adaptive sport suspension.

The 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine may be the most powerful on Earth, but it never feels stretched, and the way the engine builds power gradually rather than walloping you low in the rev range – means its not hard to manipulate. If you stamp the throttle the in gear response is epic, and the feel of the throttle pedal is superb. The accompanying noise is, quite simply, excellent :D

Things I like:

-The ride - the ability to change the behaviour of the car with a flick of the dial is awesome!

-The reliability - I've done 7000km so far and it hasn't missed a beat - no squeaks, rattles or anything

-The handling

-The looks

-The noise the engine makes!

-The gorgeous interior

-The presence on the road

-The performance (I'll admit being a bit naughty - took it up to 200km/h the other day on a country road - but there were no speed limits on this road as it was a private road).

-The awesome Bose sound system :D

Things I don't like:

-The display screen looks aftermarket, as though it is stuck-on (but then again all new Mercs have them).

-Rear seat passengers will be squashed a bit, the leg-room could have been better

-No HUD

-Distronic plus feature in the cruise control - very annoying as the car slows down and maintains the speed of the vehicle in front. Also don't like the fact that it is too sensitive - it almost stops the car when it senses someone is slowing down to turn in front

-Starting the car in RACE mode is pretty complicated and makes no sense for everyday use (though the owner's manual says not to use this mode on normal roads!)

-Rear visibility is poor (though the reversing camera really helps!)

-Small boot

-No spare tyre.

The numbers:

$82,661 on road (includes registration, insurance etc.) - Approx. 40.6 lac at today's exchange rates.

0-100 km/h in 4.2 seconds (claimed, though some people have managed to do it in 4 seconds).

Top speed: 270 km/h

5 years servicing is included in the price of the car (got a service plan with it) so the only expenses will be for the parts (if any parts are replaced).

My experience with the car so far:

It has now been 7 months since I took delivery, and I have been using the car everyday (for work on weekdays, and for fun on weekends). I drive about 60km everyday and it has been a surprisingly good daily-driver. In "comfort" mode the car is very smooth and the suspension is quite bearable!

I have also driven on highways/freeways and have taken the car up to 200 km/h on a private road. The acceleration is quite breathtaking and the car handles extremely well at 200km/h, though I did experience a bit of understeer.

I get about 500-550 km on a full tank of fuel; which is the only downside. I have to fill up every 8-10 days and it costs me anywhere between $65-$80 depending on what the fuel prices are. I only fill up 98RON petrol (usually Shell or BP). Mercedes only recommend using lower fuel grades if 98RON is unavailable and only for as short a time as possible.

Overall experience:

I bought the car from Mercedes Benz Adelaide. They are pretty good and we have been dealing with them for the last 15 years, having bought several cars over the years. Several freebies were thrown in as part of the deal: the boot liner, AMG floor mats, an AMG jacket, A45 model car (limited edition), a gift basket with wine, full tank of fuel and an AMG ink pen.

The first few pictures were taken on the day of delivery, the remaining have been taken over the last 7 months.

That's a really good car. You must be really happy. For self driving, there is no car as good as the A. Maybe the 2 series. I've had my eye on the A45 since this model launched. But the A45 is nowhere near launch on Indian roads. Had to settle for the humane version, A180 petrol. Congrats btw, happy revving

Congrats! Great car to have down under, the choices you have down under are so much better than what we get up here. However, 40 lakhs for a hot hatch seems expensive even without our Indian duty that would drive the price up to 75 lakhs.

Nonetheless, its justified as this is a decision of the heart for you so does not have to be logical :) I too bought a CLA last month and it was completely a decision from the heart as other options seemed much more logical and practical.

How is the refinement level of the 4cyl AMG engine? I find my CLA 200 engine quite clattery sounding from the outside. I am sure you engine being an AMG would be better in those terms as it also sips better quality fuel than ours here.

Thank you! Yes, 40L is a bit too much I agree, but I have always wanted to own this car, and I could finally afford to do it now!

The engine is quite refined in comfort mode, but in sport and sport+ modes it is very noisy! On a side note, the new diesel engines in the C250d and GLE350d (the ones I have driven), are so refined, you'd think they were petrol cars!

And congrats on your CLA! It is such a great car, I have driven the CLA45 AMG and the way the car handles is just amazing!

(And I also thought RON 97 fuel is available in India?)

Congrats on this Beautiful Car..!!
Undoubtedly, this 2.0 engine IS the MOST powerful 2.0 on this planet.

I remember the A45's screaming down the streets of Sydney and each time I heard the AMG exhaust note, I just could not take my eyes and ears off it.
It is simply mind blowing your heart will actually skip a beat.!!

I wish I could afford one of these.

We get Speed97 as the best fuel available at select pumps in metro cities. I use this fuel exclusively on my RS5 which burns a big enough hole in my pocket, don't think it's worth to put in the CLA's tiny engine.

Many congratulations! This is *the* performance hatchback to buy right now bar none. That 375HP engine is just a bomb.

In fact this would be my choice over the CLA45 or GLA45 any day. Less weight, tighter chassis and more fun.

Congratulations Jeeper. Awesome ride it is. The kind of power the engine produces for it's 2L capacity!! :thumbs up

Mind sharing the GPS Coordinates? Wouldn't mind driving all the way from Queensland:D

Congrats on the beautiful car. Good to see another Bhpian from down under. All the best with the Merc, drive safe.

Thanks all for the kind words. Taking my car out on it's first long road-trip (heading to Melbourne today). I'll post a detailed trip report at a later stage!

Hehe thank you! The coordinates are -32.443052, 138.077117. But you can't actually see the road as it is on a private farm. The owner is a very good friend of mine and he is a crazy car enthusiast and built a 5km circuit, with a 2km straight and a few curves, on his property (done very recently, it doesn't show up on google yet). He also kindly towed my car with his trailer as there was no way I was going to drive my car on a dirt road to get to his property :D.

There isn't an eye watering emoticon.

Hats off to your friend.

Well, his family is among one of the richest people in the state and he even has a town named after his family (the Brinkworths; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brinkw...outh_Australia)

He also has about a 100 Porsches (most of them are old and rusted though)- he is Porsche crazy :D
Will get some pics of his garage the next time I am up there visiting.