2020 Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 spied testing in snowy Europe

It's been a few months since the debut of the 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class, the small, sleek "four-door" coupe that slots into the German automaker's lineup next to the new A-Class sedan. While we were never huge fans of the outgoing model, the new CLA looks great on paper, and the 2019 A-Class shows that Mercedes knows how to build a small car that still feels as premium as its other products. As fine as the 2.0-liter CLA 250 is likely to be, we're really excited for the hopped-up Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 variant. We get an early look at the new car today.

The entire front and rear ends are covered in a black and white wrap, but we can make out some of the details through the camouflage. Like other AMG offerings, the CLA 45 appears to get the "Panamericana" grille. There are two main variants of this grille, and the CLA 45 looks like it's the same basic design that you find on the Mercedes-AMG GT, with wider bottom corners for a sort of scowling look. The front end also gets big air intakes and a low splitter. The rear gets vents in the bumper as well as the distinct quad exhaust tips you find on other AMGs.

We don't have any further details right now, but expect the CLA 45 to retain AMG's high-output turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four sending around 400 horsepower to all four wheels through a dual-clutch transmission. This engine is a beast, offering one of the highest power-to-displacement ratios of any vehicle at any price. The outgoing model made 376 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque, propelling the car to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. A sub-four-second run is totally in the realm of possibility. We just wish we'd get the shooting brake variant in America. Stay tuned for more.