Cue a slew of 35-badged compact AMGs.
Mercedes-AMG, the performance skunkworks of German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz, have excitedly pulled the wraps off their very-yellow, very-powerful A35 hot-hatch. The A35, with its reworked 2.0-litre four-pot turbo-petrol engine will arrive on the scene to take on cars like the Renault Megane R.S. and Volkswagen Golf R, and is set to land on our shores late in 2019.
The A35 marks the arrival of a new nomenclature, 35, which will likely now be employed to denote entry-level AMG models. The 45 badges used to do this, but now the 45-badged cars will likely be pushed a little further up on the Scoville scale. That said though, the A35 is no slouch, with 225kW of power and 400Nm of twist on offer, going to all-four wheels via a specially-tuned 4Matic all-wheel drive system and 7-speed dual-clutch automatic, enabling the A35 to hit 100km/h from rest in just 4.7-seconds.
Of course, great power demands great brakes, so 350mm fronts and 330mm rear brake discs have been fielded. There are four-piston callipers chomping down at the business end while single-piston ones are employed out back, with the discs themselves ventilated for better performance.
The brakes aren’t the only performance revisions on hand: There are selectable drive modes to choose from (Slippery, Comfort, Sport, Sport+, and Individual), which tweak things like the throttle response and the transmission mapping, among other things. Further ability to tweak the A35’s character comes from the ESP system which offers up ‘Basic’ and ‘Advanced’ modes, while the adaptive dampers (a cost option, mind) give you a choice of three modes that range between ‘Is This Really A Hot Hatch?’ to ‘Here Is The Powder That Was Once My Spine.’
Bearing an AMG badge means it absolutely has to look unhinged, and the A35 delivers on this front. There’s a new front bumper replete with canards on the corners, as well as a splitter that looks properly aggro. There are (surprisingly tasteful) 18-inch “lightweight” alloy wheels with a polished chrome lip, and bold side skirts down the side, while the rear sees a revised rear bumper with integrated diffuser, a (less tasteful) wing, and very-noticeable chrome exhaust tips that are linked to a unique exhaust system replete with a butterfly valve to allow a progression from a “balanced to powerful” soundtrack depending on your mood and driving style.
And on the inside, there’ve been various AMG touches applied to the already-pretty cabin of the latest-generation A-Class, making it all feel that much more aggressive. There’s the MBUX system on the dash, featuring AMG-specific fettling, as well as a new AMG steering wheel finished in a combination of leather and Alcantara. Metal shift paddles live behind that, while the sports seats feature a matching leather/Alcantara upholstery combination. You can option either red or grey contrast stitching for the upholstery, though the red option bags you red piping on the Alcantara bits and pieces and red highlight rings around the air-conditioning vents.
The Mercedes-AMG A35 4Matic will be making its in-the-metal debut at the upcoming Paris motorshow, before going on sale in early 2019. Mercedes-Benz Australia has confirmed to the media that the A35 will be making its Aussie debut in the latter half of next year, so stay tuned to CarShowroom as we bring you more specifics as they drop.
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