This is where things get interesting. For the past couple of weeks we've watched Steve Sutcliffe drive the all-new Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG and the CLA45 AMG. He seemed relatively pleased with them but they did have their pitfalls here and there.
That said, the question becomes how does it stand up to the competition. Clearly the BMW M135i that has won over most of Europe's heart is on that list and, more interestingly, the Volkswagen Golf GTI makes the cut too. From what I've heard the vehicle is a stellar product but to go up against vehicles with approximately more than 100 horsepower over it says a lot. Perhaps the dollar factor will have folks giving it a shot over the other two.
Anyhow, enough of the philosophical stuff, let's see how this plays out below.
WHO are YOU rooting for, and WHY?
It may be known as 'the Beast', but can the 355bhp Mercedes A45 AMG overpower the BMW M135i and Volkswagen Golf GTI? Steve Sutcliffe finds out in the biggest hot hatch shootout of the year.