The Mercedes-AMG A35 is down on power over its Golf R rival, but which should you opt for?
, Audi S3 and BMW M135i. It’s been around for a while now, and while the A45 S continues to hog much of the limelight with its 415bhp power figure, the less intense and less expensive A35 still does a great job of appealing as a more demure everyday driver.
Its underlying ingredients aren’t out of this world – the turbocharged four-cylinder engine and basic suspension layout are derived from the standard A-class – but as AMG has so often been able to do in recent years, there’s some real finesse added into the package. If the hatchback body doesn’t really do it for you, Mercedes will give you options, with this same powertrain available in the A35 Saloon, CLA35 Coupe and Shooting Brake, a GLA35 crossover and even the tall, boxy GLB35 that can seat up to seven.All of these variants, including the A35 hatchback, use a heavily developed version of the M260 engine used in the A250 hatch, not the bespoke AMG M139 engine from the A45 S. For this application the standard turbo has been replaced by a twin-scroll item, and the intake air is cooled via an air-to-water intercooler, not the A250’s air-to-air type. The A35’s peak power of 302bhp isn’t quite up to the latest Mk8 Golf R’s 316bhp, but it’s more than competitive against the identically powered BMW M135i, and only 4bhp off the Audi S3. This power is complemented by 295lb ft of torque. Combined with a twin-clutch, seven-speed gearbox and four-wheel drive, it’s no surprise that the performance figures are strong: 0-62mph takes just 4.7sec, and the top speed is limited to 155mph.Virtually no component in the car’s suspension is carried over from the regular A-class, with redesigned joints and lower wishbones combined with careful development of the bushes and even the use of metal bearings on the lower front arms for more steering precision. The rear subframe is now solidly mounted to the body, while the steering rack is also new, as are the beefy brakes with monobloc four-piston calipers up front. There’s a stiffer structure to work with, too, courtesy of an aluminium shear underpanel beneath the engine, assisted by bracing bars. The four-wheel-drive system now uses an electro-mechanical clutch on the rear axle, but does without the A45 S’s trick torque-vectoring rear differential and ‘drift mode’. The A35 is 100 per cent front-wheel drive in steady running, but up to 50 per cent of torque can be sent to the rear axle. There are five driving modes , and in the more aggressive of these settings the AMG Dynamics system uses the ESP and torque vectoring to aid corner turn-in. There’s a bespoke tyre for the car, too: a 19-inch Pirelli P Zero.The A-class’s familiar shape doesn’t really scream 300bhp hot hatchback, especially without the additional body styling components fitted, but in the metal the design is cohesive and well executed. Open the driver’s door and settle into the slightly too high seat, and you take in the giant one-piece slab of MBUX tablet display, fancy neon-esque interior lighting, and swathes of Alcantara and aluminium. There’s also AMG’s complicated steering wheel, with the option of its own driver mode, damper and ESP switches, all of which positions the A35 in a totally different orbit to more traditional examples of the hot hatch breed. But what really matters is how it drives, and straight away you can feel the progress compared to the flat-footed original AMG A-class. In Comfort mode the A35 is reserved, and there’s confirmation that the engineers’ work to broaden the range of suspension settings has been at least partly successful; it’s still a firm-riding car, but you can sense there’s pliancy here. The steering is light and relatively mute in its feedback, but it’s also nicely progressive and accurate, the car heading exactly where you place it.Switch to a more aggressive setting and the A35 shifts character considerably. The exhaust opens up and the motor chomps enthusiastically through the gears, although there’s a hint of lethargy in the mid-range. It’s hard to say exactly why this is – at 1480kg the A35 certainly isn’t a light car, but perhaps it’s because by its own admission AMG has mapped the engine to maintain power at high revs, so you do need to wring it out to feel the full force of its performance. Driven hard, the A35’s immense traction, impressive braking and undoubted agility mean it covers ground at an astonishing rate. It’s a more grown-up experience than that of the terrier-like hot hatches of old, but it does feel hugely capable. As road surfaces deteriorate, the A35’s inherent chassis stiffness keeps the car composed and controlled, even if the lack of tyre wall does transmit sharper road intrusions into the cabin. Cars in the UK only come with 19-inch wheels, but adaptive dampers are only standard on the upper-spec Premium Plus model, which does widen the A35’s comfort zone. On the right road, in the right mode, the entry-level AMG is highly entertaining and finally feels like a properly executed hot hatchback. The A45 S takes this excitement much further, which speaks volumes about the underlying chassis, but it does leave you desperately doing the maths to figure out how to raise the extra £17k required to jump to the most potent A-class...At £41,540 the 2022 A35 costs a decent £5500 or so more than when it first arrived in 2020, but thanks to a wildly changing marketplace, it’s still around the same price as its main rivals from
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