New Mercedes-AMG A45 S Edition 1 2020 pricing and specs detailed: Audi RS3 rival gains unique look

Mercedes-AMG has announced pricing and specifications for the Edition 1 version of the new A45 S hyper hatch, which launched in Australia this week.

Only available for 2020, the Edition 1 lists for $101,690 before on-road costs. That’s $8090 more the regular Mercedes-AMG A45 S it’s based on and comes with enhancements to toughen the look inside and out.

The Edition 1 comes with Sun Yellow paint, matt-black 19-inch AMG twin-spoke alloys, an AMG aero package that includes a large roof-mounted spoiler, and AMG door decals. The interior is given AMG high-performance seats, AMG high-performance steering wheel in black Dinamica microfibre with ‘Edition’ badging, black/titanium grey upholstery with yellow topstitching, and AMG brushed-aluminium trim.

The rest of the Edition 1’s standard features mirror those of the regular Mercedes-AMG A45 S, and includes the Panamericana grille with AMG front apron, the quad 90mm exhaust tips, wider front wheel guards and high-performance brakes. Also standard is a Burmester stereo, two 10.25-inch fully digital displays for the media system and instrument cluster, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual-zone climate control, and proximity key.

The Edition 1’s powerplant is the same as the one you’ll find in the regular Mercedes-AMG A45 S – a new 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder producing a gobsmacking 310kW of power and 500Nm of torque.

That enormous output makes this 2.0-litre engine the most powerful four-cylinder ever to go into a mass-produced car, and enables a 0-100km/h run in 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 270km/h.

An eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission sends drive goes to all four wheels, but a ‘Drift Mode’ is available for powersliding.

The Mercedes-AMG A45 S can be ordered now, and the Edition 1 will only be available until the end of this year.

2020 Mercedes-AMG A45 S pricing before on-road costs