The mega hatch segment is like never before and what a handful of years ago was considered supercar territory now belongs to models like the Mercedes-AMG A 45 S or the Audi RS 3.
The first to reach the 400 hp barrier was the Audi RS 3 (8V generation), but shortly thereafter it received an impressive response from Affalterbach's “neighbors”, who launched the Mercedes-AMG A 45 S with 421 hp and 500 Nm , which became the “most powerful hot hatch in the world”, a true mega hatch.
The expectation to “receive” a new generation of the Audi RS 3 was, therefore, great. Would it supplant AMG's arch-rivals?
Rumors said that the RS 3 could reach 450 hp, but the new “bad boy” of the brand with the four rings kept the 400 hp of power of the predecessor. What has increased is the maximum torque, now 500 Nm, 20 Nm more than before, equaling the value of the A 45 S.
With this approximation of "numbers", the "war" for the throne of the mega hatch has never been so fervent and this calls for a comparison between these two candidates. And while we don't put them side by side on the road, let's put them “face to face”… in this article!
Audi RS 3
On the left side of the ring — and wearing red shorts (I couldn't resist this boxing analogy…) is the new “kid on the block“, the newly introduced Audi RS 3.
With more sophisticated electronics, more torque and an improved chassis, the Audi RS 3 kept the 2.5 liter five-cylinder turbo engine that has long characterized it and is unique on the market today, which here produces 400 hp (among the 5600 and at 7000 rpm) and 500 Nm (2250 at 5600 rpm).
Thanks to these numbers, and with the optional RS Dynamic Package, the RS 3 is now capable of reaching 290 km/h top speed (more than its opponent) and needs just 3.8s (with Launch Control) to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h.
Power is distributed to all four wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, and through a sophisticated torque splitter this RS 3 can receive all the torque on the rear wheels, in RS Torque Rear mode, which allows for drifting. from the rear.
Mercedes-AMG A 45S
In the other corner of the ring is the Mercedes-AMG A 45S , animated by the world's most powerful production four-cylinder, the M 139.
With 2.0 liters of capacity, turbo, this engine produces 421 hp (at 6750 rpm) and 500 Nm (between 5000 and 5250 rpm) and can catapult the A 45 S from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.9s (the redline is only achieved at 7200 rpm) and up to 270 km/h top speed.
Unlike the Audi RS 3, the A 45 S's torque vectoring system — which also features a dual-clutch (but eight-speed) automatic transmission with all-wheel drive — never sends more than 50% of the power to the rear axle, not even in drift mode.
All in all, the Mercedes-AMG A 45 S — whose engine has one cylinder less than the Audi — produces 21 hp more than the RS 3, but is slower when accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h, by the narrowest margin of 0.1s, and has a lower top speed (minus 20 km/h).
In terms of weight, just 10 kg separates these two “monsters”: the Audi RS 3 weighs 1645 kg and the Mercedes-AMG A 45 S weighs 1635 kg.
Differences in specs are therefore minimal and without resorting to the buzzwords of power and performance, it is not easy to declare the king of this category. It will be necessary to take the confrontation on the road, but we still have to wait a little longer for it.
The Mercedes-AMG A 45 S has already shown high efficiency on asphalt, but will the Audi RS 3 surpass it not only in terms of dynamic skills, but also in the most subjective of qualities, the driving experience?
Which did you choose?
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And the BMW M2?
But many may be asking: and BMW, the missing part of the “usual German trio” does not enter this conversation?
Well, the BMW equivalent of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class and the Audi A3 is the BMW 1 Series, whose most powerful version today is the M135i xDrive , which is animated by a 2.0 liter four-cylinder engine that produces “only” 306 hp and 450 Nm. Numbers that make this proposal a rival to the Audi S3 (310 hp) and the Mercedes-AMG A 35 (306 hp).
Being strict, the BMW M2 it is not a “hot hatch“. It's a coupé, a real coupé. However, it is the proposal of the Munich brand that is closest, in price and performance, to these two models from Mercedes-AMG and Audi Sport.
The BMW M2 Competition is powered by a 3.0 l inline six cylinder (as is the tradition of the Munich brand) that sends 410 hp and 550 Nm only to the rear axle, which allows it to sprint up to 100 km/h in 4.2s (with the dual-clutch gearbox) and reach 280 km/h top speed (when equipped with the M Driver's Package).
It's the purest driving experience of the three, and BMW is preparing to launch a new generation, the G87, of the model in 2022, which will keep the recipe of the current one: six-cylinder in-line, rear-wheel drive and, for the most purists , there will even be a manual box.
It is speculated that the power could also rise up to 450 hp (equivalent to the M2 CS), but it still needs to be confirmed. Until then, remember that BMW has just presented the new generation of the 2 Series Coupé (G42).