Mercedes-AMG A45 S review

Mercedes-AMG A45 S review

We take the Mercedes-AMG A45 S – the most powerful hot hatch on the market – for a spin…

It could be argued that the concept of the ‘hot hatch’ – in the traditional sense – is now in its dying days.

After all, we live in an era where a family EV is often quicker off the mark than many a performance ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) car.

Mercedes-AMG A45 S review

There are only a few genuine ‘hot’ hatches left, including the Audi RS3, Volkswagen Golf R, Honda Civic Type R and the Mercedes-AMG A45 S – the subject of this week’s road test.

Just to recap, the fourth-generation Mercedes-Benz A-Class hatchback was launched in 2018 and facelifted at the end of 2022.

Topping the range are a pair of performance models (the Mercedes-AMG A 35 and the even-faster Mercedes-AMG A 45 S), which have now also received a makeover.

Mercedes-AMG A45 S review

The A 45 S is the most powerful hot hatch on the market (415bhp and 369lb ft of torque) and it features the world’s most potent series-production four-cylinder engine.

The key stats say it all, because that turbocharged 2.0-litre engine means it’s capable of 0–62mph in a blistering 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 168mph.

Oh, and all that power is directed to the road via an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox and AMG’s 4Matic all-wheel drive system.

Mercedes-AMG A45 S review

For what it’s worth, fuel economy is a claimed 30.8mpg. And frankly, unless you possess superhuman levels of restraint, the reality is closer to 25mpg.

First impressions count and the Mercedes-AMG A45 S is a statement car.

Apart from new front and rear lights and an AMG badge on the bonnet, the update hasn’t made much of a difference to the car externally – which is no bad thing.

Mercedes-AMG A45 S review

With its aggressive stance, lower lip spoiler, quad-exhaust pipes, front bumper canards and a massive rear wing, it oozes performance.

Inside, the first thing you notice is the driving position, which is a tad high, while the seats are on the firm side. The dashboard is shared with standard A-Class models, so there’s an impressive dual-screen set-up and a head-up display.

If you prefer things minimalist, the Mercedes-AMG A45 S may not be for you. There’s a complex twin-spoke steering wheel incorporating two mode buttons, five circular air vents and a line of climate-control switches.

Mercedes-AMG A45 S review

There’s plenty of room up front, but those bucket seats eat into the rear passenger space, so best to try the space for size.

The 370-litre boot is about average for a family hatchback and there’s a useful 40/20/40-split rear bench.

Of course, premium materials are used throughout the interior and it’s hard to fault the overall build quality, inside and out.

Mercedes-AMG A45 S review

Naturally, the Mercedes-AMG A45 S is a little more vocal on start-up than your average hatchback, but it’s not anti-social.

In fact, it’s really easy-going, happy pootling around town and cruising on the motorway. Put your foot down and it’s a car transformed. The exhaust note is angrier, it pumps through the gears and before you know it, you’re up to the legal limit.

Traction is prodigious, but hot hatches aren’t just about straight-line speed – it’s how they cope on more challenging roads.

Mercedes-AMG A45 S review

And it’s here that the Mercedes-AMG A 45 S is in another league. There are a bewildering amount of drive mode settings (there’s even a drift mode), and you can tweak the steering, suspension and exhaust, but ultimately, the sportier you get the more astonishing it becomes.

With sharp, responsive steering, phenomenal cornering ability, powerful brakes and a glorious rear bias, it’s remarkably forgiving and remains unbelievably composed.

I can’t pretend to understand all the clever, technical stuff going on behind the scenes. All I know if that it works superbly. Not only does it put a smile on your face, but it leaves you yearning for more. This could be an entertaining track day weapon.

Mercedes-AMG A45 S review

My only criticism is that the ride is firm, even in comfort mode, but it’s certainly not a deal-breaker. Sadly, the starting price of £63,285 will be for many.

Verdict: Quite simply, the Mercedes-AMG A45 S is one of the best hot hatches ever – a heady mix of power, superb driving engagement, top build quality and practicality.

Mercedes-Benz UK

Honda Civic Type R review

Honda Civic Type R review

We put the latest incarnation of Honda’s hot hatch through its paces – on the road and on track…

There are a handful of new cars worthy of a genuine fanbase, and the Honda Civic Type R is one of them.

With a pedigree stretching back to 1997, it’s become a legendary model in the automotive world – and now it’s the turn of the sixth generation Civic Type R (which is based on the 11th generation Civic).

Known as the FL5 in Honda-speak, it takes over from the FK8 (2017-22).

Honda Civic Type R review

I had high hopes for the new Civic Type R after driving the impressive family hatchback version of the now hybrid-only Civic, because it handled very well.

I praised its agile drive, adding, “it stays flat in more challenging corners, there’s good grip and the steering is nicely weighted, which all bodes well for the upcoming Type R”.

Well, I got my first taste of the new Honda Civic Type R at a wet Thruxton circuit, preceded by a varied road route on and around a sodden Salisbury Plain.

The new Type R is really a finely tuned evolution of the acclaimed outgoing model, so a tough act to follow.

Honda Civic Type R review

Already the track record holder at Suzuka, Honda reckons the FL5 “is a fitting way to celebrate 30 years of the Type R nameplate”.

Priced from £46,995, it’s the best looking Type R yet. Inheriting the standard Civic’s softer lines and good proportions. Let’s say it’s less boy racer and all grown up.

Sure, there are plenty of extra aerodynamics compared to its sensible sibling, but even the considerable rear wing seems restrained compared to previous generations.

Unlike the regular Civic, there’s no electrical assistance. Instead, there’s a more powerful-than-before 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine.

Honda Civic Type R review

It’s got 325bhp to offer up – slightly more than the 316bhp you got in the old car – as well as 420Nm of torque.

Slightly swifter than its predecessor, it can sprint to 60mph in a time of 5.2 seconds and go on to a top speed of 170mph. In terms of economy, that’s 34.4mpg and CO2 emissions of 186g/km.

Inside, it’s had a much-needed update. Not only has the overall quality improved, but there’s also a new infotainment system (lifted straight from the standard Civic).

Add red Alcantara-trimmed sports seats up front, red carpets, a brushed metal gear knob and a ‘serial plate’ with the car’s build number on the dashboard, and you know you’re driving something special.

Honda Civic Type R review

There are three drive modes (Comfort, Sport and R) and they alter the car’s engine, steering and suspension feel.

There’s also a new ‘Individual’ drive setting, where the steering, adaptive dampers, rev match system and engine response can all be adjusted separately.

Comfort is just fine for long journeys and cruising motorways. Sport sharpens things up nicely, while things get hardcore when you engage the R mode.

Honda Civic Type R review

Here, the driver’s display switches to a new layout, more familiar to racing drivers. There’s a linear rev graphic flanked by a digital speed readout and 12 separate items of vehicle information, ranging from coolant temperature to steering angle and a G-meter.

The idea is to allow drivers to view their inputs and how the vehicle reacted. Ultimately, it can help you see where improvements can be made and go faster on track.

For comparison, I drove the outgoing FK8 on track before the new FL5. Overall, the FL5 is more sophisticated, forgiving and responsive. I had a couple of moments (corrected thanks to my razor-sharp reflexes!) in the FK8 on a couple of corners at soggy Thruxton, but no such drama in the FL5.

Honda Civic Type R review

I definitely felt more confident in the FL5, which ties in with the biggest gains over the old Type R, namely the improved chassis rigidity and handling performance as a result of tweaks to the steering and suspension.

Needless, to say, the new Honda Civic Type R is incredibly fast – and not just in a straight line. Its ability to corner at speed is phenomenal for a front-wheel drive car, while the traction on offer is nothing short of astonishing.

Honda Civic Type R review

The brakes deserve praise too. Not only do the Brembos (in conjunction with wider 19-inch Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres) work superbly, but Honda has made changes to the front wheel arches to aid cooling.

Tweaks have also been made to the exhaust system (there are now three pipes!), so the soundtrack is better than ever. Naturally, it’s at its loudest in the R setting, but some may also find a long trip in Sport mode tiresome, so best to stick to Comfort, which is easier on the ears and offers a more compliant ride.

Final word to the smooth and precise six-speed manual gearbox.

Honda Civic Type R review

And as if all that isn’t good enough, then the Civic Type R is a practical daily driver too. There’s ample space up front and only the tallest of rear seat passengers have reason to complain (the penalty for that swooping roofline). You also get the same 410 litres of luggage capacity as the standard Civic, expanding to a useful 1,212 litres with the back seats flipped.

So, the new Civic Type R is hard to fault. Perhaps the only fly in the ointment is its premium price and the fact that it will be offered in very limited numbers in the UK – and we’re talking hundreds, not thousands.

Verdict: The Honda Civic Type R has matured into hot hatch royalty. Remarkably good to drive, it’s an awesome blend of performance, driving engagement, technology and practicality.

Honda UK

Honda Civic Type R review

2022 Honda Civic Type R breaks lap record at Suzuka

Home / Auto News / 2022 Honda Civic Type R breaks lap record at Suzuka

Gareth Herincx

2 days ago
Auto News

2022 Honda Civic Type R

Honda’s next-generation Civic Type R has set a new lap record for a front-wheel drive car at the iconic Suzuka Circuit in Japan.

The hot hatch lapped the 5.8km track in 2 minutes 23.120 seconds, 0.873 seconds faster than its predecessor, the stripped back 2021 Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition.

The all-new Civic Type R, which launches in Europe later in 2022, is the latest performance vehicle to prove itself on the iconic Suzuka International Racing Course, famous for its high-speed chicanes and challenging corners.

Suzuka, often described as one of the world’s greatest circuits, has been a test bed for performance Hondas since 1962 and has been home to the Japanese Formula 1 Grand Prix for all but two years since 1987.

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Gareth is a versatile journalist, copywriter and digital editor who’s worked across the media in newspapers, magazines, TV, teletext, radio and online. After long stints at the BBC, GMTV and ITV, he now specialises in motoring.

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Toyota GR Yaris review

Is this rally-bred pocket rocket as good as everyone says it is?

Toyota GR Yaris

I don’t know about you, but I’m always a bit suspicious of a new car when it’s universally acclaimed and wins major awards before it’s even hit the roads.

The Toyota GR Yaris is one such vehicle, but don’t worry, it actually exceeds expectations. Here is a car that bears some resemblance to its sensible (and very good) supermini sibling, but in reality it’s totally different and has been developed with the World Rally Championship in mind.

In fact, Toyota says the only unchanged exterior parts are the headlights, door mirrors, rear light clusters and the shark fin antenna on the roof – everything else has been redesigned or adapted to meet targets for downforce, aerodynamic performance and stability.

Toyota GR Yaris

The most obvious visual difference is that the GR Yaris has three doors, a lower roof line, flared wheel arches and bigger wheels, plus spoilers and air intakes aplenty.

Weight-saving aluminium body panels have been used, along with a forged carbon composite roof, while under the bonnet the regular Yaris’s hybrid 1.5-litre 114bhp petrol engine has been replaced by a bespoke 1.6-litre turbo producing 257bhp and 265lb ft of torque – the world’s most powerful three-cylinder engine and also the smallest and lightest 1.6 turbo.

What’s more, Toyota has also developed a sophisticated full-time four-wheel-drive system for the GR Yaris and the result of this this tech and attention to detail is impressive. A dinky hot hatch that can sprint from 0-62mph in just 5.5 seconds, and on to an electronically limited top speed of 143mph.

Toyota GR Yaris

For the record, this road-going rally special can return up to 34.3mpg and CO2 emissions are 186g/km.

Of course, outright speed is only half the story, it’s how a car uses that performance that matters, and this little fella doesn’t disappoint.

From the moment you fire it up, the GR lets off a low-level growl and is straining at the leash. Pedal to the metal and it’s like a bat out of hell, especially when that turbo boost kicks in.

Toyota GR Yaris

Flick through the slick six-speed manual gearbox, with its sporty short-throw, and it not only feels fast – it is fast.

There’s impressive grunt, even lower down in the rev range, and thanks to a little acoustic enhancement, the engine note builds to a throaty roar to add to the theatre of the driving experience.

Toyota GR Yaris

In short, the GR Yaris is among a select group of cars that puts a smile on your face from the moment you press the start button.

There are three driving modes (Normal, Sport and Track), but frankly default Normal will do most owners just fine in everyday driving.

Toyota GR Yaris

Even if you let your inner Boy Racer get the better of you on more challenging roads, the nimble GR Yaris’s intoxicating blend of supreme handling, remarkable traction, sharp steering and powerful brakes will flatter your driving ability.

No car is perfect, and the GR is no exception. As you’d expect from a hardcore hot hatch, it’s engineered more for performance than comfort. Sure, the sports seats are suitably supportive, but the ride is on the firm side.

I wouldn’t expect anything else, but to make this a true daily driver, a Comfort setting might have helped smooth out our pothole-ridden roads on those few days when you’d rather cruise than enter a rally stage.

Toyota GR Yaris

On a practical level, the rear seats and restricted headroom mean these spaces are only acceptable for children and small adults, while the luggage capacity is a modest 174 litres (the 60/40-split seats fold down should you need more room).

Like its standard little brother, the Yaris is well put together, but it also shares much the same interior, which means functional black plastic mouldings and a lack of soft-touch surfaces.

Toyota GR Yaris

On the plus side, it comes with a generous five-year/100,000-mile warranty and benefits from Toyota Safety Sense as standard, which includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane departure alert, adaptive cruise control and automatic headlights.

Prices from £30,020, the GR’s formidable rivals range from Ford’s Puma and Fiesta STs, to the Honda Civic Type R, Renault Megane RS, Hyundai i30 N and Volkswagen Golf GTI.

Verdict: The Toyota GR Yaris is a little gem. Hot hatch looks and on-the road thrills combine to make this dinky thoroughbred a real driver’s car and instant classic.