Ushering buyers into the AMG fold is the new Mercedes-AMG A35 that slots above the A250 and below the A45 S.
The Mercedes-AMG A35 4Matic is one vehicle that has all the fighting equipment to give the BMW M135i, Volkswagen Golf R and Audi’s RS3 a run for their money.
Allow me to call it a pocket rocket…
What lurks underneath?
Powering the new Mercedes-AMG A35 sedan is a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with 225 kW of power and 400 Nm of torque. This is the same powerplant that lurks in the A250 variant.
The engine sends power to both axles through a smooth-changing AMG Speedshift DCT 7G transmission and the popular 4Matic all-wheel-drive setup.
And looks?
Honestly, I never liked how the standard A-Class sedan models look. They all look a bit dull and lack character. However, the AMG bits worn by the A35 Sedan add some pizzaz. My test unit came wearing a denim blue hue which matched perfectly fine with the black painted alloys.
The front is equipped with a sportier radiator grille, an AMG Line front bumper with a large central air intake as well as a splitter. To further improve its sexy stance, AMG slightly widened the wheel arches and made the waistline slim.
The rear remains my absolute favourite, with a large pair of exhaust tips (one on each side), a lovely diffuser painted in gloss black, and a black thin spoiler.
How is it inside?
As you’d expect from an AMG offering, Mercedes-AMG did a very outstanding job. The interior is elegant while also adding a dash of sportiness, thanks to the front bucket seats as well as AMG detailing.
The AMG adds contrast stitching plus a flat-bottom steering wheel and metal paddle shifters.
The Mercedes-AMG A35 comes fitted with the brand’s MBUX multimedia system (which includes the “Hey Mercedes” function). There is absolutely nothing wrong with the system except that it couldn’t understand some of the commands which prompted me to manually take charge.
Although some of my passengers did not like the bucket seats and found them firm and not comfortable, I found them to be fitting for a car of the A35’s calibre.
There is adequate space inside, however, tall individuals may feel a little bit cramped at the back and their heads near the roof. There is enough space in the boot for groceries and luggage when you take that weekend getaway trip.
How is it to drive?
It is fun. The aggressive character luckily continues when you push that start button and the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine fires up. It’s not as potent as the brutal A45 S but it impressive in all ways. The rather disappointing thing is that the AMG engine cacophony is only evident under intense acceleration or when you toggle the Sport+ driving mode. With that, there are cracks and pops with every downshift when approaching a stop – something I enjoy doing.
From a standstill, the new Mercedes-AMG A35 with its 4Matic four-wheel-drive system dashes off the line with no drama and it moves. Attack corners and its brilliant body control means there is little to no body roll. The hugging front bucket seats are divine.
Mercedes-AMG claims it can sprint from a standstill to 100km/h in 4.8 seconds before maxing out at 250km/h, but due to the lack of necessary testing equipment, I have no ground to dispute the claim.
On the road, the A35 behaves maturely and, although it’s not as relaxed as its stablemates, it provides excellent handling and a sporty ride.
The seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox is not something to complain about, however, it has a tendency of jerking under slow-moving traffic.
How much fuel does it use?
The A35 is one of the cars that are hard to drive economically. During my time with the car, the numbers would go over 10l/100km under spirited driving. Drive it nicely and you are sure to bring the numbers down to the 9l/100km mark.
Thankfully, the 51l fuel tank ensured that I never had to refill the car even after the 350km+ distance I covered.
Verdict
Mercedes-AMG clearly has to be lauded for introducing the A35 variants to close the gap that has always been vacant. The A35 Sedan surely does get my vote and it’s down to personal preference when it comes to choosing the hatch or the sedan body styles because they both look the part.
It is a fun small car that is worth looking at.
Pricing
The Mercedes-AMG A35 4Matic is priced at R850 000 and if you’d want to consider its hatch counterpart, it carries a R841 000 price tag.
