Mercedes A-class AMG (2012) spied on video

2012 Mercedes A-Class AMG caught on video in Germany

We have spy video of the 2012 / 2013 Mercedes A-Class AMG caught testing in Germany. Expect it to arrive at Geneva 2012.

We had the very impressive-looking Mercedes A-Concept at the Shanghai Motor Show back in April, and the less than impressive-looking new Mercedes A-Class patent drawings a while later. And now we have the first spy video of the range-topping 2012 Mercedes A-Class AMG caught blatting round Stuttgart.

We had high hopes for the new A-Class – which will arrive sometime in 2012 – when we saw what Mercedes had done with the A Concept, but that turned to disappointment when the more prosaic patent drawings appeared.

But whatever the reality of the new A-Class is, it will doubtless lie somewhere between the two. And the most appealing – certainly from a ‘sporty’ point of view – will be the range-topping A-Class AMG.

And despite the expectation that an AMG version of the 2012 A-Class would probably only come as a three-door, the spy video of this AMG A-Class is a five-door, which puts paid that expectation.

Although the new A-Class in this video is heavily disguised, we know it will get a more aggressive front bumper with gaping air intakes to feed the engine, uprated brakes, a butch bodykit and serious brakes.

Likely to arrive as the A25 AMG, the new performance A-Class will get a twin-turbo 2.0 litre suitably fettled by AMG to deliver something around 350bhp.

Word has it that Mercedes are benchmarking the very good – and very grown-up – Golf R in performance and dynamic terms, which augers very well for the on-road dynamics. We also expect the A-Class AMG to come with 4WD – just like the Golf.

Even though all the Mercedes hype for Frankfurt has been on the new B-Class, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the new A-Class turn up as well, with the high-performance AMG version making an arrival at Geneva in Spring 2012.

Should give the BMW 1-Series M Coupe a run for its money.