Mercedes-Benz just brought its electric future to the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed, dropping the curtain on the all-new Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 4MATIC+. Formula 1 prodigy Kimi Antonelli piloted the vehicle up the iconic hill climb this weekend, showing off a completely reengineered high-performance compact car. The vehicle ditches combustion entirely for a unique triple-motor setup that pushes 680 horsepower (500 kW) and 1,298 lb-ft of torque.
The true engineering draw here is the motor architecture. Instead of traditional radial motors, Mercedes packed three compact axial-flux electric motors into the chassis—one on the front axle and two on the rear. This creates an incredibly dense power-to-weight ratio. By distributing power this way, the system enables a fully variable AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel-drive setup that delivers instant torque vectoring across the rear wheels.
Key Details
- Acceleration: The 2027 model year CLA 45 hits 0-62 mph (100 km/h) in 2.7 seconds using a one-foot rollout.
- Top Speed: It is electronically limited to 155 mph, but the optional AMG Dynamic Plus Package raises the ceiling to 168 mph.
- Configurations: Buyers can choose between a Sedan or a Shooting Brake wagon body style.
Powering those motors is a 94 kWh lithium-ion battery equipped with silicon-oxide-blended graphite anodes. Range anxiety is largely mitigated by the underlying 800-volt architecture. You can plug into a 330 kW DC fast charger and jump from 10% to 80% battery capacity in just 22 minutes. A quick 10-minute pit stop adds roughly 168 miles of driving range. As outlined by The EV Report, the drivetrain also integrates AMG DYNAMIC SELECT drive modes, which includes a combustion-simulating AMGFORCE S+ mode for drivers seeking synthetic acoustic feedback.
Trickle-Down Hypercar Tech in a Compact Frame
For years, the automotive industry treated high-density axial-flux motors as exclusive hardware reserved for multi-million dollar hypercars or ultra-luxury flagships. Mercedes just broke that ceiling. The technology powering this new CLA 45 was originally developed for the much larger, exponentially more expensive AMG GT 4-door Coupé. Now, engineers have successfully scaled it down to fit a daily-drivable footprint.
This rollout effectively serves as the very first electric Mercedes-AMG CLA, and the direct technology transfer from the flagship AMG GT 4-Door Coupe alters the competitive math in the compact sports segment. The aerodynamic efficiency remains impressively high. The Sedan achieves a WLTP-rated range of over 416 miles, while the Shooting Brake hits 398 miles. Mercedes pulled this off by relying on active aerodynamics and an integrated multi-source heat pump designed to harvest residual heat from both the motors and the battery pack. Porsche and Audi are suddenly facing an entry-level AMG that outpaces their mid-tier electric sports cars on raw spec sheets.