In a recent interview, a senior AMG source has confirmed the Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG will have a starting price of less than £40,000 when it goes on sale next summer.
Speaking with Autoexpress, Tobias Moers, head of product development at AMG, said "Our target is to sell it for less than 50,000 Euro. We want it to cost slightly less than the Audi RS3".
However, the 335hp four-wheel-drive RS3 is now out of production, so the high-performance A45 will compete directly with the 316hp rear-wheel-drive BMW M135i, which is currently available on the market and starts at £29,995.
As we have previously reported, the A45 AMG will be powered by a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged engine with 350 hp and 400 Nm of torque. It is mated to a SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7-speed gearbox and an all-wheel-drive system. This allows the hatchback to accelerate from 0-62 mph in 4.5 seconds - a tenth faster than the Audi RS3.
