Video test: Mercedes-AMG A45 v Volkswagen Golf R

To think some used to say you’d never get a hot hatch with more than 250 horsepower. The latest Volkswagen Golf R now comes with more than 300 horsepower, a boost given as part of a facelift that also introduces tweaked looks and a fancy new infotainment system. The ‘Golf GTI Plus’ is better than ever.

Our Matt loves it. He reckons it’s a five-star car, one that he’s driven 900 miles in one day and still got out the other end thinking it delightful. He’s so busy extolling the virtues, he barely notices Mauro rocking up in a bright red Mercedes-AMG A45. Looks like the Golf has met its match, Matt.

Mauro nails the numbers game. 0-62mph? 4.2 seconds. If you pay Merc enough to take the speed limiter off, it will do 168mph. It has a crazy 376bhp. It was the fastest accelerating hot hatch when it was launched in 2013… and it remains so today, despite the Golf’s interim facelift in that time.

“AMGs are not scared of Golfs, Matt,” says a massively confident Mauro when Matt challenges him to a race. And, on paper, this seems well-placed, particularly as the Golf is hampered by a manual gearbox when the AMG has fancy launch control tech.

But can Mauro actually get the tech working? And, even if he can beat Matt in a drag race, what about through the corners? Over to the boys to explain all – and find out if a £42k Mercedes-AMG really does justify the extra expense over the £32k Golf…