2019 Mercedes-AMG A45 drift mode teased

Mercedes-AMG has teased its upcoming hot-hatch flagship, the A45, with a video showcasing its hotly-anticipated drift mode.

The new video was shared on Mercedes-Benz social channels overnight, and shows a camouflaged pre-production car getting very sideways around a wet track somewhere in Northern Germany.

It also does donuts on the spot, in a similar fashion to the Ford Focus RS with its clever GKN all-wheel drive system. Could the A45 be getting a high-tech all-wheel drive setup, capable of distributing most of the engine's torque to an individual wheel? Sure looks like it.

Beyond the slidey, sideways action, the video reveals a few design details about the A45. Based on the pre-production car filmed, it'll get a grille inspired by that of the AMG GT R, and four circular exhaust tips.

There's also a rear wing sitting atop the boot lid. Something similar is offered as an option on the current car – maybe it'll be standard on the new model, though.

We know the car will have around 300kW of power and a eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, along with a chassis designed to move the hot hatch game forward.

"The chassis compared to today... it's unbelievable," Tobias Moers told CarAdvice at the Paris motor show.

"We have various suspension in the car and it's an improvement in every perspective. There's more comfort, more rigidity in every way, so we put a lot of effort into the body in white. There's lots of reinforcement and it fits perfectly."

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