Mercedes-Benz A45 vs Gac M8

What's the difference?

Driving the first-generation Mercedes-AMG A 45 in 2013 was an intense, noisy, brutal experience and I loved every bone-shaking, ear-bleeding moment of it.

But I’m older now, married and have children, and while this is also an intense, noisy, brutal experience I now prefer cars to be less like a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week continuous cage fight. So, I was surprised to find the new-generation A45 S has grown up a bit, too.

So, like me, is the new Mercedes-AMG A 45 S 4Matic+ not as quick as it used to be, and does it have a dad bod, now, too? Far from it. If anything, it’s matured into the serious weapon of a hot hatch it was always supposed to be.

The flagship GAC M8 PHEV Luxury we’re reviewing lives in a strange corner of the family car market. It’s a people mover, but it’s priced like a luxury SUV, designed like a VIP shuttle and powered by a plug-in hybrid system that suggests someone, somewhere, had very specific plans.

It finds itself up against the fully-electric LDV Mifa 9 and Zeekr 009, while also circling the upper end of the Kia Carnival range. The latter of which has proven itself to be the default choice for families.

Which begs the question - who is the GAC M8 actually pitched towards? Families with older teens or ageing grandparents feel like a more natural fit than those deep in the child-seat phase, largely because the M8 prioritises space, comfort and efficiency over the usual kid-wrangling conveniences.

At the same time, its chauffeur-like identity hints at a broader, more commercial audience and one more focused on quiet efficiency and passenger comfort. What can be agreed is the real point of difference here isn’t packaging or versatility, it’s the M8’s plug-in hybrid powertrain, and the way it reshapes where a people mover like this sits within the broader electrified landscape.

Does that approach make sense once you live with it? Let's find out.