Audi RS 3 vs Mercedes-AMG A 45 S: mega hatch head-to-head

The mega hatch segment is hotter than it has ever been. What only a few years ago would have been considered supercar territory is now the domain of cars such as the Mercedes-AMG A 45 S and the Audi RS 3.

The first model to break through the 400 hp barrier was the Audi RS 3 (8V generation). Not long afterwards, the “neighbours” in Affalterbach came back with a formidable reply: the Mercedes-AMG A 45 S, delivering 421 hp and 500 Nm, earning the title of the “most powerful hot hatch in the world” - a true mega hatch.

With that in mind, anticipation around a new-generation Audi RS 3 was understandably huge. Could it finally outdo its AMG arch-rival?

There were whispers that the RS 3 might reach 450 hp, yet the new four-ring brand “bad boy” stayed at the same 400 hp output as its predecessor. What did rise was peak torque, now up to 500 Nm - an increase of 20 Nm versus before - matching the A 45 S.

With the numbers now closer than ever, the fight for the mega hatch crown has never been so intense. That makes a comparison between these two contenders unavoidable. And while we’re not putting them side by side on the road just yet, we can still set them up in a head-to-head… right here.

Audi RS 3

In the left corner of the ring - wearing red trunks (I couldn’t resist the boxing analogy…) - stands the new “kid on the block”: the recently unveiled Audi RS 3.

With more advanced electronics, increased torque and a refined chassis, the Audi RS 3 retains the turbocharged 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine that has long defined it - and which is now unique in the market. In this application it produces 400 hp (between 5600 and 7000 rpm) and 500 Nm (2250 to 5600 rpm).

On the strength of these figures, and with the optional RS Dynamic Package, the RS 3 can now reach 290 km/h top speed (higher than its opponent) and needs only 3.8s (with Launch Control) to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h.

Power is sent to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Thanks to a sophisticated torque splitter, this RS 3 can route the full amount of torque to the rear wheels in RS Torque Rear mode, enabling tail-out drifts.

Mercedes-AMG A 45 S

In the opposite corner sits the Mercedes-AMG A 45 S, powered by the M 139 - the most powerful series-production four-cylinder engine in the world.

With 2.0 litres of capacity and turbocharging, this unit delivers 421 hp (at 6750 rpm) and 500 Nm (between 5000 and 5250 rpm). It fires the A 45 S from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.9s (the redline is only reached at 7200 rpm) and on to a top speed of 270 km/h.

Unlike the Audi RS 3, the A 45 S torque-vectoring system - paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive - never sends more than 50% of its force to the rear axle, not even in drift mode.

All told, the Mercedes-AMG A 45 S - despite having one fewer cylinder than the Audi - makes 21 hp more than the RS 3. Even so, it is marginally slower from 0 to 100 km/h by the tiniest of gaps, 0.1s, and it also trails on top speed (down by 20 km/h).

When it comes to weight, there is just 10 kg between these two “monsters”: the Audi RS 3 weighs 1645 kg and the Mercedes-AMG A 45 S weighs 1635 kg.

So, on paper, the differences are extremely small - and without leaning on the usual clichés of power and performance, it’s not straightforward to declare a king in this category. The showdown will have to move onto the road, but we’ll still need to wait a little longer for that.

The Mercedes-AMG A 45 S has already proven highly effective on tarmac, but can the Audi RS 3 beat it not only dynamically, but also in the most subjective area of all: the driving experience?

Which would you choose?

And the BMW M2?

Many people will be wondering: what about BMW - doesn’t the missing part of the “usual German trio” belong in this discussion?

Well, BMW’s equivalent to the Mercedes-Benz A-Class and the Audi A3 is the BMW 1 Series. The most powerful version available today is the M135i xDrive, powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine producing “just” 306 hp and 450 Nm. Those figures make it a rival to the Audi S3 (310 hp) and the Mercedes-AMG A 35 (306 hp).

Strictly speaking, the BMW M2 is not a “hot hatch”. It’s a coupé - a proper coupé. However, it is the Munich brand’s offering that sits closest to these two Mercedes-AMG and Audi Sport models in both price and performance.

The BMW M2 Competition uses an inline six-cylinder (as tradition dictates in Munich) with 3.0 l, sending 410 hp and 550 Nm to the rear axle only. That allows it to complete the sprint 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 offers the purest driving experience of the three, and BMW is preparing to launch a new generation - the G87 - in 2022, which will retain the current recipe: an inline six, rear-wheel drive and, for the most committed purists, even a manual gearbox.

It is speculated that power could also rise to 450 hp (matching the M2 CS), but that still awaits confirmation. Until then, it’s worth noting that BMW has just unveiled the new generation of the 2 Series Coupé (G42).

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