Mercedes-AMG has given its entry-level car a ridiculous 661bhp for reasons we don't quite understand

► Moves from petrol to electric power – with ridiculous performance ► Saloon and Shooting Brake remain ► It also makes the sound of an old petrol CLA 45

Mercedes-AMG has unveiled its new CLA 45 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, moving the firm’s ‘baby’ performance model from petrol to electric power and gaining an insane performance boost in the process.

Using tech shared with the flagship new electric Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupé, the CLA 45 is powered by three pancake-shaped axial flux electric motors from British firm Yasa. These motors are more compact and lighter than traditional e-motors, with the CLA having two on the rear axle and one on the front.

Combined, they put out 671bhp – a truly ridiculous figure for what is essentially AMG’s entry-level model, and a significant increase on the previous 2.0-litre petrol CLA 45’s 416bhp. This new car can accelerate to 62mph in a hypercar-rivalling 2.7 seconds, while the axial flux motors are able to deliver high performance more consistently than conventional motors.

The rear motors alone can deliver 671bhp, with the front motor only being engaged when additional power is required. The car can be locked in ‘rear drive’ guise, however. Its top speed is 155mph as standard, but can be raised to 168mph with the optional ‘AMG Dynamic Plus package’.

Its 94kWh (usable) battery is also larger than that of a standard Mercedes CLA, with Mercedes claiming a range of up to 416 miles for the saloon and 398 miles for the Shooting Brake version. Its 800V architecture also enables maximum charging speeds of up to 330kW, allowing a 10 to 80 per cent charge in 22 minutes.

Sports suspension with three-way adaptive dampers is standard, with the harshest setting getting the name ‘AMG FORCE S+’. An additional ‘Race’ setting is also available within the drive modes.

AMG has also been playing around with sound profiles to accompany this CLA’s performance, with that aforementioned ‘AMG FORCE S+’ setting introducing the same sound as the previous four-pot petrol CLA 45. The firm says it used 13 microphones positioned inside and outside the old car to create more than 1,600 audio files of the car’s noise, including its burbling exhaust. The firm says the result is that it has ‘digitally reproduced every facet of the original AMG sound’ for this electric model.

Visually, the CLA 45 doesn’t look massively different from a standard CLA in AMG Line guise, but key differences include an AMG-specific grille, while the front light bar is removed, though can be reinstated as an option. An active rear spoiler also features on both the saloon and Shooting Brake.

Revised bumpers incorporate larger splitters, while larger 19-inch alloy wheels are fitted as standard. More aggressive ‘Night’ packages are available as an option, featuring a darkened grille, black badging and window surrounds, among other elements. Inside, the 45 retains the standard CLA’s tech fest of an interior, though comes with sports seats as standard, while the middle rear seat is removed from both derivatives to build on their ‘uncompromisingly sporty character’.

Pricing is still to be confirmed, and we expect it to arrive in the UK by the end of 2026.