Carmakers don’t typically commemorate mid-cycle updates of their slowest-selling models, but calling a limited-production package “Edition 1” sure seems to us like a commemoration, and the CLA did just get a face-lift for this year. Or maybe the 2024 Mercedes-AMG CLA45 S Edition 1 is an attempt to drum up some excitement around an overlooked car. Just 25 CLA45s bound for the U.S. will receive the Edition 1 treatment, and for fans of the color orange, it’s a pretty slick package.
The Manufaktur Mountain Gray Magno paint (Magno means matte in Mercedes-speak) and matte-black 19-inch wheels are from the AMG CLA45 catalog, but orange accents inside and out grant the Edition 1 a racier look. Thin stripes of orange paint highlight the edges of the AMG Aerodynamics Package’s front splitter, rear diffuser and sill panels, while a black checkered-flag motif runs along the rocker panels from the front wheels to the rear bumper, with large black AMG lettering outlined in orange. Inside, orange contrast stitching pops against black synthetic suede upholstery on AMG Performance seats, complemented by orange ambient lighting and accents in the dash vents.
With its ferocious turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing the same 416 horsepower and 369 pounds-feet of torque, the Edition 1 is mechanically identical to the regular-production AMG CLA45.
With power routed through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission to all four wheels, the AMG CLA45 scrambles from 0-60 mph in a claimed 4 seconds flat.
Aside from the visual tweaks, there’s nothing to the Edition 1 buyers can’t already get on the CLA45 S, an equivalently optioned example of which would cost $76,850 (all prices include $1,150 destination). That means the Edition 1’s price tag of $82,345 represents an upcharge of less than $5,500.
