Mercedes announces 4wd A45 AMG

Perhaps in the light of the Range Rover announcement, Mercedes has taken the opportunity to announce the new 4wd A Class, and also remind the world that it invented the 4x4 – back in 1907, apparently.

The Daimler Dernberg (Daimler was the original name of Mercedes) is said to be the world's first commercially available 4x4 and had a 6.8 litre engine, producing 35 bhp. Mercedes also points out that the formidable Unimog has been in continuous production since 1947. The Unimog is short for Universalmotorgeraet, which translates as "Universal Motor Appliance" – the ultimate Swiss Army Knife on wheels (for those with budgets approaching six figures).