At first the power wars were between big luxury saloons, but given the direction the automotive world is moving in, that battle might have just flowed over to four-cylinder engines.
Mercedes-Benz got the ball on the roll with their A45 and CLA45 AMG models – both cars featuring the company’s brand new 2,0-litre 265 kW engine. This engine is, currently, the world’s most powerful four-cylinder production engine, but it didn’t take too long for the competition to seek a slice of the pie.
Volkswagen was the first to put their fork in the pie with rumours of a 300 kW version of their Golf R. Equipped with the company’s four-wheel drive system and this new beast of an engine, the Golf R should easily thump Merc’s four-pot off the table.
Not planning to be pushed away from the pie it baked, Mercedes-AMG plans to offer even more power from its unit, defending their position as the producers of the punchiest four-cylinder engine on the market.
Though denying sightings of a wide-arched A45 that might hint at a Black Series model, AMG’s product planning manager, Oliver Weich, said that the German firm will continue to develop its 2,0-litre engine over time.
“We went into the segment with a plan,” he said, “and not with a single spot just to come in and let see what happens.” He did, however, add that right now, AMG is “on top”, and the company intends to stay there in the future.
While Mercedes and its competitors go at each other, we know that the pies they’ll produce will leave a lasting taste. A la, Merc’s 2,0-litre four-cylinder engine.
– Charlen Raymond
