Mercedes-AMG A 45 S Final Edition Set to Bring Down the Curtain on the Hyperhatch

Priced from £67,965 in the UK, the Final Edition carries a £2,500 premium over the regular A 45 S. There is no additional power, weight reduction or chassis revisions. Instead, Mercedes has bundled together existing options and applied a colour scheme that makes no attempt to slip quietly into retirement.

The Final Edition will only be available in Manufaktur Mountain Grey Magno, which is contrasted by yellow detailing across the mirror caps and lower bodywork. Matt-black 19-inch AMG forged wheels receive further yellow accents, while large ‘45 S’ graphics run across the doors.

Both AMG Night Packages are fitted, replacing much of the remaining brightwork with gloss black and dark chrome. The AMG Aerodynamics Package is present too, adding a larger front splitter with additional flics, a prominent rear wing and a deeper rear diffuser blade.

Inside, the AMG Performance seats are trimmed in Artico synthetic leather and Microcut microfibre, with yellow contrast stitching and embroidered ‘45 S’ headrest badges. Further yellow accents feature across the dashboard, door cards and steering wheel, while a ‘45 S Final Edition’ plaque sits on the centre console. Illuminated AMG sill panels and edition-specific floor mats complete the treatment.

Performance remains unchanged. The hand-built 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine produces 415bhp and 369lb ft, driving all four wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission and AMG’s torque-vectoring 4Matic+ system. The result is 0–62mph in 3.9 seconds and a (limited) 168mph top speed.

Comparisons with Audi’s RS 3 swansong are hard to avoid, given the two have traded blows for more than a decade. The RS 3 Competition Limited also leaves the engine untouched, but adds three-way adjustable coilovers, revised rear springs, a stiffer anti-roll bar, reduced sound insulation, functional aerodynamic changes and carbon-ceramic brakes. At £92,855 and limited to 11 UK cars, the Audi is a considerably more expensive proposition, but there is genuine engineering credence to its special-edition billing.

The A 45 Final Edition is instead significant for the car it appears to bring towards a close. When the original arrived in 2013, its 355bhp output made it the world’s most powerful series-production four-cylinder car. The second-generation A 45 S pushed beyond 400bhp in 2019 and added a rear axle capable of varying torque between the individual wheels.

If you’re having a sense of deja vu, it's understandable as we’ve been here before with the A 45. A Limited Edition launched in 2024 combined AMG Green Hell Magno paint with much the same yellow detailing, forged wheels, aerodynamics package and darkened exterior trim. That car was rumoured to be the original final edition before the A-Class received an extended production run. The related CLA 45 S received its own Mountain Grey Final Edition in 2025.

Mercedes describes the A 45 as entering the ‘home straight’, but stops short of confirming when production will end. Autocar reported in July 2025 that the M139 engine would not be adapted to meet Euro 7 emissions regulations and consequently the A 35 (powered by the closely-related M254) and A 45 S would be withdrawn. AMG has yet to confirm that timetable, but the current four-cylinder chapter is clearly nearing its end. 

The wider A-Class will survive, with a fifth-generation hatchback due in 2028 on the same MMA architecture as the CLA. Hybrid and electric powertrains are planned, with AMG derivatives also expected. The electric CLA 45 provides the clearest indication of what could follow: its three axial-flux motors produce up to 671bhp, although Mercedes has not confirmed whether that powertrain will migrate to the new A-Class. 

No production limit has been announced for the A 45 S Final Edition, nor has Mercedes said exactly when the current model will bow out. Should the Final Edition prove to be the last off the line, it's hard not to feel shortchanged – a car that redefined what a four-cylinder engine could do deserves more than a loud change of clothes.