2026 Mercedes-AMG CLA45 S Final Edition Bids Farewell to the 416-HP Sedan
The Final Edition pairs Mountain Grey Magno paint with yellow accents and loud "45 S" graphics on the front doors.
The Final Edition will be offered in limited numbers starting in early 2026; pricing hasn't yet been announced.
Mercedes-Benz is gearing up to launch the new third-generation 2026 CLA-class, starting this fall with the fully electric CLA EV before adding a new hybrid CLA-class sedan in early 2026. But Mercedes's performance division, AMG, has yet to work its magic on the new CLA, and before it does, it has revealed a send-off for the current CLA45 S in the form of a new Final Edition.
The 2026 Mercedes-AMG CLA45 S Final Edition will be available in limited numbers—although the automaker didn't specify just how many—when it reaches dealerships early next year. The Final Edition wears Mountain Grey Magno paint from the brand's Manufaktur personalization program and is further distinguished by a black-and-yellow "45 S" graphic on the front doors. Yellow accents are also found on the sideview mirrors.
The 19-inch wheels are painted matte black with yellow accents surrounding the center caps. The black brake calipers have AMG logos. The Final Edition also has the AMG Night package, bringing gloss-black and black-chrome exterior trim. The AMG Aerodynamics Package Plus is also fitted, bringing a beefier front splitter, small dive planes on the front bumper, a sizable rear wing, and a gloss-black rear diffuser. There is also a special silver chrome fuel cap adorned with AMG lettering.
The yellow touches continue inside, where the Final Edition features black AMG Performance seats upholstered in microsuede and Mercedes's MB-Tex synthetic leather. There is yellow stitching throughout the cabin, and the front headrests sport an embroidered "45 S" logo. There is also a "45 S Final Edition" on the center console, an illuminated AMG badge on the door sills, "45 S" branding on the floor mats, and more yellow accents on the nappa leather and microfiber steering wheel.
The powertrain remains unchanged, with the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder pumping out 416 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. Mercedes claims the CLA45 S can rip from zero to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds en route to a 155-mph top speed. But we bet it's even quicker. When we tested a 2020 CLA45, back when it had only 382 hp, it did the dash in just 3.7 seconds. Shifting duties are handled by an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, and the CLA45's standard all-wheel-drive system can send all of the power to the rear wheels for tail-happy antics.
While the 2026 CLA45 S Final Edition marks the end of the line for the second-generation sporty sedan, Mercedes is surely cooking up a hotter version of the new third-generation model. Spy photos have captured a new CLA wearing an active rear wing, redesigned bumpers, and camouflage on the front fenders where an AMG badge typically goes. We expect AMG to fiddle with both the hybrid and electric CLA-class sedans, and we shouldn't have to wait too much longer for a full reveal.
You Might Also Like
Car and Driver's 10 Best Cars through the Decades
How to Buy or Lease a New Car
Lightning Lap Legends: Chevrolet Camaro vs. Ford Mustang!
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
George Russell talks us through a lap of Silverstone ahead of British Grand Prix
George Russell took pole position for last year's British Grand Prix. Here, ahead of his home race, the Mercedes driver takes the PA news agency on a lap of Silverstone. Abbey and Farm Curve Russell in action during the 2024 British Grand Prix at Silverstone (Andrew Matthews/PA) A qualifying lap at the British Grand Prix is one of the most exhilarating of the year. It is probably only beaten by Monaco. In a Formula One car, the first two corners are flat-out at 190mph. I could even do them with one hand. Village and The Loop I brake about 60 metres before Village, which means it is a fast entry, before swinging back over to the other side of the track for the left hander at Loop – the second slowest corner on the track. A good slingshot on the exit is pivotal as the Aintree kink takes us on to the long Wellington Straight. Brooklands, Luffield and Woodcote Silverstone can be windy because it is built on the site of a World War II Royal Air Force bomber station. It is very flat, too, so I am always watching out for the flags. On the top of the British Racing Drivers' Club building at Brooklands there is a Union Jack. I know if the flag is flying strongly, I can go in hotter because there will be a ton of downforce and the grip will be immense. But if the flag is drooping, I will have to bring it back a touch – braking maybe just two metres earlier – because there is a chance the car might snap and the likelihood of a mistake is greater. Advertisement The subsequent long-righter hand through Luffield and Woodcote is probably my least favourite on the track. It goes on forever, but is crucial because it sets me up for the old pit straight and Copse. Copse Corner I remember the first time I ever drove at Silverstone, I was in a Formula Four car and I would approach Copse at 130mph before braking and shifting down the gears. But in Formula One, I take it on at 190mph, and the minimum speed through the bend is more than 180mph. It is insane. Imagine you are in a rugby scrum and everybody is trying to push you in one direction. It is a constant force, but its abruptness means it can also feel like a rugby tackle which goes on and on. Advertisement My legs are flying one way, my bottom is clenching, and my neck, which is being exposed to 50 kilograms of G-force, just wants to fly off. I might be in and out of the corner in a second, but in that brief moment I tense and I don't breathe. Maggots, Becketts and Chapel Curve Lewis Hamilton won the British Grand Prix for a record-extending ninth time in 2024 (Matthew Vincent/PA) This is the best sequence of corners in the world and the most impressive place ever to watch an F1 car. I approach at 195mph and decelerate to 145mph through the left-right-left sequence. It feels like a slalom with such incredible flow but I know the tiniest of errors will cost me. Hangar Straight and Stowe Stowe is my favourite part of the circuit and one of five corners in F1 that never ceases to amaze me. The car just feels alive. The right hander is so wide it allows me to attack it at more than 190mph. My speed drops to about 150mph as I rise over a small crest where I am aware of the thousands of British fans on the exit. Vale, Club Corner and Hamilton Straight I come into the final two corners knowing this is my last chance in the lap. Braking earlier at Vale allows me good momentum on the exit of Club and on to the Hamilton Straight. This approach will not compromise turns one and two which is ideal for the race. But in qualifying, where the finish line arrives earlier, I can carry more speed on the entry to Vale because I do not need to worry too much about my exit and the following lap.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
George Russell talks us through a lap of Silverstone ahead of British Grand Prix
George Russell took pole position for last year's British Grand Prix. Here, ahead of his home race, the Mercedes driver takes the PA news agency on a lap of Silverstone. Abbey and Farm Curve Russell in action during the 2024 British Grand Prix at Silverstone (Andrew Matthews/PA) A qualifying lap at the British Grand Prix is one of the most exhilarating of the year. It is probably only beaten by Monaco. In a Formula One car, the first two corners are flat-out at 190mph. I could even do them with one hand. Village and The Loop I brake about 60 metres before Village, which means it is a fast entry, before swinging back over to the other side of the track for the left hander at Loop – the second slowest corner on the track. A good slingshot on the exit is pivotal as the Aintree kink takes us on to the long Wellington Straight. Brooklands, Luffield and Woodcote Silverstone can be windy because it is built on the site of a World War II Royal Air Force bomber station. It is very flat, too, so I am always watching out for the flags. On the top of the British Racing Drivers' Club building at Brooklands there is a Union Jack. I know if the flag is flying strongly, I can go in hotter because there will be a ton of downforce and the grip will be immense. But if the flag is drooping, I will have to bring it back a touch – braking maybe just two metres earlier – because there is a chance the car might snap and the likelihood of a mistake is greater. Advertisement The subsequent long-righter hand through Luffield and Woodcote is probably my least favourite on the track. It goes on forever, but is crucial because it sets me up for the old pit straight and Copse. Copse Corner I remember the first time I ever drove at Silverstone, I was in a Formula Four car and I would approach Copse at 130mph before braking and shifting down the gears. But in Formula One, I take it on at 190mph, and the minimum speed through the bend is more than 180mph. It is insane. Imagine you are in a rugby scrum and everybody is trying to push you in one direction. It is a constant force, but its abruptness means it can also feel like a rugby tackle which goes on and on. Advertisement My legs are flying one way, my bottom is clenching, and my neck, which is being exposed to 50 kilograms of G-force, just wants to fly off. I might be in and out of the corner in a second, but in that brief moment I tense and I don't breathe. Maggots, Becketts and Chapel Curve Lewis Hamilton won the British Grand Prix for a record-extending ninth time in 2024 (Matthew Vincent/PA) This is the best sequence of corners in the world and the most impressive place ever to watch an F1 car. I approach at 195mph and decelerate to 145mph through the left-right-left sequence. It feels like a slalom with such incredible flow but I know the tiniest of errors will cost me. Hangar Straight and Stowe Stowe is my favourite part of the circuit and one of five corners in F1 that never ceases to amaze me. The car just feels alive. The right hander is so wide it allows me to attack it at more than 190mph. My speed drops to about 150mph as I rise over a small crest where I am aware of the thousands of British fans on the exit. Vale, Club Corner and Hamilton Straight I come into the final two corners knowing this is my last chance in the lap. Braking earlier at Vale allows me good momentum on the exit of Club and on to the Hamilton Straight. This approach will not compromise turns one and two which is ideal for the race. But in qualifying, where the finish line arrives earlier, I can carry more speed on the entry to Vale because I do not need to worry too much about my exit and the following lap.
Car and Driver
11 hours ago
- Car and Driver
2026 Mercedes-AMG CLA45 S Final Edition Bids Farewell
The 2026 Mercedes-AMG CLA45 S Final Edition marks the end of the line for the second-generation CLA and its sporty AMG-tuned variant. The Final Edition pairs Mountain Grey Magno paint with yellow accents and loud "45 S" graphics on the front doors. The Final Edition will be offered in limited numbers starting in early 2026; pricing hasn't yet been announced. Mercedes-Benz is gearing up to launch the new third-generation 2026 CLA-class, starting this fall with the fully electric CLA EV before adding a new hybrid CLA-class sedan in early 2026. But Mercedes's performance division, AMG, has yet to work its magic on the new CLA, and before it does, it has revealed a send-off for the current CLA45 S in the form of a new Final Edition. The 2026 Mercedes-AMG CLA45 S Final Edition will be available in limited numbers—although the automaker didn't specify just how many—when it reaches dealerships early next year. The Final Edition wears Mountain Grey Magno paint from the brand's Manufaktur personalization program and is further distinguished by a black-and-yellow "45 S" graphic on the front doors. Yellow accents are also found on the sideview mirrors. Mercedes-Benz The 19-inch wheels are painted matte black with yellow accents surrounding the center caps. The black brake calipers have AMG logos. The Final Edition also has the AMG Night package, bringing gloss-black and black-chrome exterior trim. The AMG Aerodynamics Package Plus is also fitted, bringing a beefier front splitter, small dive planes on the front bumper, a sizable rear wing, and a gloss-black rear diffuser. There is also a special silver chrome fuel cap adorned with AMG lettering. The yellow touches continue inside, where the Final Edition features black AMG Performance seats upholstered in microsuede and Mercedes's MB-Tex synthetic leather. There is yellow stitching throughout the cabin, and the front headrests sport an embroidered "45 S" logo. There is also a "45 S Final Edition" on the center console, an illuminated AMG badge on the door sills, "45 S" branding on the floor mats, and more yellow accents on the nappa leather and microfiber steering wheel. Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz The powertrain remains unchanged, with the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder pumping out 416 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. Mercedes claims the CLA45 S can rip from zero to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds en route to a 155-mph top speed. But we bet it's even quicker. When we tested a 2020 CLA45, back when it had only 382 hp, it did the dash in just 3.7 seconds. Shifting duties are handled by an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, and the CLA45's standard all-wheel-drive system can send all of the power to the rear wheels for tail-happy antics. While the 2026 CLA45 S Final Edition marks the end of the line for the second-generation sporty sedan, Mercedes is surely cooking up a hotter version of the new third-generation model. Spy photos have captured a new CLA wearing an active rear wing, redesigned bumpers, and camouflage on the front fenders where an AMG badge typically goes. We expect AMG to fiddle with both the hybrid and electric CLA-class sedans, and we shouldn't have to wait too much longer for a full reveal. Caleb Miller Associate News Editor Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.
