- Powerful 2.0-litre M133 turbo engine has character
- Excellent dynamics
- High standard of fit and finish
- Responsive, effective brakes
- For M133 engine , Service Campaign initiated for A 45 AMG turbocharger failure due to contamination of oil feed line
- Inconsistently weighted steering lacks feel
- Stiff suspension transmits bumps through the seat and steering wheel
- Poor rear seat headroom
Review: Mercedes-Benz W176.I A 45 AMG (2013-15)
Overview
Released in Australia in August 2013, the Mercedes-Benz W176 Series I (W176.I) A 45 AMG was a five-door performance hatchback. Manufactured in Rastatt, Germany, the all-wheel drive W176 A 45 AMG was powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine that was mated to a seven-speed double clutch transmission.
M133 engine
Hand-produced by MDC Power GmbH in Kölleda, Germany, the four-cylinder M133 engine had a gravity-die sandcast all-aluminium crankcase with ventilation bores, an aluminium cylinder head, a forged steel crankshaft, forged pistons with friction-optimised piston rings, NANOSLIDE coating for the cylinder walls, ‘spectacle honed’ cylinder liners (i.e. surface treatment applied when already bolted in place), spray-guided direct injection via piezo injectors (operating between 100 bar and 200 bar), a twin-scroll turbocharger which provided maximum boost pressure of 1.8 bar (26.1 psi), air-to-water intercooling, double overhead camshafts, continuously variable camshaft adjustment, four valves per cylinder and a compression ratio of 8.6:1. Furthermore, maximum engine speed was 6700 rpm.
Compliant with EU6 emissions standards, the M133 engine could perform up to five injections per combustion cycle in the cold-start and warm-up phases to reduce emissions. Furthermore, the M133 engine had an ECO start/stop function which enabled it to shut down when the vehicle was stationary in traffic to minimise fuel consumption.
The Mercedes W176.I A 45 AMG could accelerate from rest to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds and had an electronically-limited top speed of 250 km/h. Over the combined ADR 81/02 test cycle, fuel consumption for the A 45 AMG was 6.9 litres per 100 km.
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