Mercedes-AMG has unveiled the electric CLA 45 4Matic+ as its most powerful compact performance model yet. Producing 500kW of power and an astonising 1,759Nm of torque, the electric Benz challenges supercars with its ability to blast the 0-100km/h sprint in just 2.7 seconds.The new CLA flagship, available in both sedan and Shooting Brake body styles, is powered by three axial-flux electric motors — two driving the rear axle and one at the front — delivering fully variable all-wheel drive with torque vectoring. Mercedes says the compact axial-flux motors offer greater power density than conventional electric motors while enabling sustained high performance.The CLA 45 draws energy from a 94kWh battery operating on an 800V electrical architecture. Mercedes claims a driving range of up to 670km for the saloon and 640km for the Shooting Brake. DC fast charging at up to 330kW enables the battery to juice up from 10% to 80% in 22 minutes, while a 10-minute charge can add more than 270km of driving range.To ensure the electric AMG retains the emotional appeal of its combustion-powered predecessors, Mercedes has introduced an “AMGFORCE S+” driving mode that recreates the sound, vibration and simulated gear changes of a high-performance petrol engine. Engineers sampled the soundtrack of an AMG A 45 S using more than 1,600 recordings to create what the company describes as an authentic driving experience rather than synthetic sound effects.The car also features adaptive suspension, active rear aerodynamics, seven driving modes and an AMG Track Pace system that records more than 80 vehicle parameters 10 times per second for track analysis.Inside, the CLA 45 debuts a fourth-generation MBUX infotainment system based on Mercedes-Benz’s new operating system. The platform integrates AI from ChatGPT, Microsoft Bing and Google Gemini to power a more conversational voice assistant, alongside AMG-specific performance applications.The new model shares its underlying architecture with the Mercedes-Benz CLA, which was named European Car of the Year 2026 and achieved the highest Euro NCAP safety rating in 2025.Deliveries of the CLA 45 4Matic+ will begin next year with prices yet to be confirmed. There is no confirmation yet about whether the car will come to South Africa.