Spy Shots: Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG is an A-Class on Steroids

We have snapped some fresh spy shots of the upcoming, high performance version of the latest Mercedes-Benz A-Class hatchback, which we will come to know as the A45 AMG, or according to some sources, the A25 AMG.

Despite the prototype model's heavy cladding, we hear that the A45 AMG may be revealed as early as this September at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, with sales to likely follow in the beginning of 2013.

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Mercedes-Benz Details New A-Class Hatch's Interior Design

We have reported extensively on the all-new Mercedes-Benz A-Class five-door hatchback, and now, just before its European market launch on June 15, the German firm has released one more video of its premium compact model

In this new clip, Mercedes-Benz designer Jan Kaul, who was responsible for the hatchback's inner works, gives us the low down on the styling of the interior, which for the most part, will be shared with the upcoming CLA compact four-door coupe.

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Mercedes-Benz Sells 500,000th 2nd-Generation A-Class

Three year’s after the market introduction of the second generation A-Class in September 2004 and Mercedes-Benz has managed to hit the half-a-million mark with its compact hatch. According to the German carmaker, apart from their home turf, the A-Class’ key markets include Italy, France and the UK. From the 500,000 units sold, about a third of the customers opted for the A 180 CDi diesel version while another third preferred the A150 petrol version. -Press release after the jump

Mercedes-Benz delivers 500,000th unit of the current A-Class to customer

· A-Class is an integral part of the Mercedes-Benz product range since 1997

· Customers enthusiastic about unique safety concept and versatility

· Market leadership in Germany and Italy maintained successfully

Stuttgart – Since the second generation of the A-Class was introduced to the market in September 2004, Mercedes-Benz has delivered 500,000 units of this compact and versatile model to customers. “Ten years ago, Mercedes-Benz created the premium compact class by introducing the A-Class,” said Dr. Klaus Maier, Executive Vice President Mercedes Car Group, responsible for Sales and Marketing. “Since then, the A-Class has become an integral part of our product range and laid the cornerstone for Mercedes-Benz’ leading position in this segment.”

The A-Class enjoys considerable customer appeal, particularly due to its unique safety concept, spacious interior and impressive versatility. The model is particularly successful in Germany and Italy, where Mercedes-Benz has been successful in maintaining its market leadership in this segment for years. Other key sales markets for the three and five-door versions of the A-Class are France and the UK. About a third of the A-Class customers opt for the fuel-efficient A 180 CDI diesel version (with fuel consumption of 5.2 liters per 100 kilometers) while another third purchases the A150 gasoline version (6.2 liters per 100 kilometers).

In March of this year, the renowned Öko-Trend institute awarded its automotive environmental certificate to the A-Class. According to the institute, the A-Class not only has excellent values for fuel consumption, exhaust emissions, and noise levels, but also stands out by virtue of its environmentally friendly production processes, materials, and logistics. The experts particularly praised the A 160 CDI, stating that “the Mercedes-Benz A 160 CDI can be deemed one of the most environmentally compatible vehicles with a conventional drive system. A holistic environmental concept that takes the vehicle’s entire lifecycle into account was already employed during the compact’s development phase. For example, numerous measures have reduced emissions during the production and vehicle operation of the new A-Class by about 17 percent compared to the predecessor model. With the new A-Class, Mercedes-Benz has set new ecological benchmarks for vehicles with conventional drive systems.” The A 160 CDI consumes 4.9 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers, which translates into 128 grams of CO2.