The Mercedes-AMG A45 S and VW Golf R are two of the most potent hot hatches on the market and Rory Reid from AutoTrader recently had the opportunity to put the duo through their paces on a racetrack.

While many other hot hatches on the market continue to stick with the tried and tested front-wheel drive layout, the Golf R and A45 S are all-wheel drive. As such, they offer up much better traction and are superior in straight line acceleration.

Watch Also: New VW Golf R Dares Challenge The Mercedes-AMG A45 S In A Straight Line Fight

Both the Golf R and A45 S have 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engines but the Merc has a significant power advantage with 415 hp and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm) compared to the 315 hp and 310 lb-ft (420 Nm) of the VW. It’s hardly a surprise then that when the two are lined up for a drag race, it is the Mercedes that takes an easy victory.

Two of the coolest features of both the Golf R and A45 S are their Drift modes. The Ford Focus RS pioneered the use of a Drift mode and in the VW, up to 50 per cent of power can be distributed to the rear wheels when it is enabled. By comparison, there is no limit to how much power the A45 S can send to the rear wheels, so it feels much more rear-biased than the VW, as Reid notes.