Mercedes-AMG A45 S bows out with £68,000 Final Edition

The Mercedes-AMG A45 S is being discontinued, and the brand has confirmed a Final Edition model priced at £68,000 to mark the end of its run after seven years on sale.

The A45 S earned its reputation by housing the most powerful four-cylinder engine ever fitted to a production car at the time of its 2019 launch. That turbocharged 2.0-litre unit produced 416bhp and 369lb ft of torque, enough to push the car from 0 to 62mph in 3.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 168mph. Those are figures that would embarrass many dedicated sports cars, and they came packaged inside what is, on the outside, a fairly ordinary-looking five-door hatchback.

According to multiple reports, the reason the A45 S is being retired comes down to emissions regulations. The most powerful version of its engine is not compatible with the incoming Euro 7 standard, and re-engineering it to comply would not have been commercially worthwhile for Mercedes. The less powerful AMG A35, which shares the same basic body, is expected to remain on sale for the time being, so buyers who want a four-door AMG hatchback at a lower price point will still have an option.

For anyone who has owned or is currently running an A45 S, the discontinuation means that parts supply and specialist knowledge become things worth thinking about sooner rather than later. As a car moves out of production, servicing it well becomes more dependent on finding a garage with genuine experience of the model. If you own one and are thinking about maintenance or repairs, it is worth looking for a specialist who knows the M139 engine family rather than relying on a general workshop. Garage.co.uk can help you find trusted local garages with the right experience for performance and specialist vehicles.

The Final Edition itself is likely to appeal to collectors and enthusiasts who want a definitive version of what has been one of the most talked-about hot hatches of the past decade. At £68,000 it sits well above where hot hatches traditionally lived in the market, but the performance it delivers has always made direct comparisons with cheaper rivals feel slightly beside the point.